When challenger Sonny Boy Jaro was dispatched in a single round by WBA lightflyweight champion Giovanni Segura in Merida, Mexico, a week ago, it wasn’t the first time a Filipino figured in a world title fight that lasted inside three minutes.
In boxing history, the records show that Filipino fighters were involved in 16 world championship bouts that ended in the first round. The tally shows seven wins and nine losses for the Filipinos, either as champion or challenger.
The country’s top fighters of all time like Manny Pacquiao, Flash Elorde and Luisito Espinosa all contributed to the win column while several unforgettables, including Diego de Villa and Gabriel Pumar, went down in shame.
By the way, Pumar is now based in Japan and known as Boom Boom Toei. The Lapu-Lapu City southpaw takes on Makoto (Army) Yoshida in Tokyo on Dec. 15, the day before his 24th birthday. Pumar is coming off back-to-back wins over Japanese opponents and has a 13-3-1 record, with seven KOs.
In all, Filipinos have fought in 357 world title bouts since Elino Flores lost a 15-round decision to Johnny Dundee for the junior lightweight crown in New York City on Feb. 2, 1923. The breakdown is as follows - 60 minimumweight, 44 lightflyweight, 65 flyweight, 40 superflyweight, 28 bantamweight, 25 superbantamweight, 22 featherweight, 35 superfeatherweight (or junior lightweight), 13 lightweight, 13 superlightweight (or lightwelterweight), eight welterweight and four middleweight.
The list of world title fights includes those sanctioned by major and minor organizations like the WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO, IBO (International Boxing Organization), IBC (International Boxing Council), WAA (World Athletic Association), WBU (World Boxing Union), WBB (World Boxing Board), Ring Magazine (as the People’s Championship) and WBF (World Boxing Federation, now Foundation).
In a future column, we’ll list the breakdown of wins and losses of Filipinos in world title fights by division. We’ll also come up with the complete of Filipino world titleholders, including those who held WAA and WBB crowns.
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Meanwhile, here’s a list of the 16 world title bouts that ended in the first round involving a Filipino protagonist.
1. Aug. 17, 1960. Flash Elorde KO1 Harold Gomes (US), San Francisco. World junior lightweight title.
2. Dec. 16, 1960. Flash Elorde KO1 Sergio Caprari (Italy), Manila. World junior lightweight title.
3. March 21, 1963. Roberto Cruz KO1 Raymundo (Battling) Torres (Mexico), Los Angeles. World junior welterweight title.
4. Oct. 17, 1973. Ben Villaflor KO1 Kuniaki Shibata (Japan), Honolulu. World junior lightweight title.
5. March 17, 1984. Joo Do Chun (Korea) KO1 Diego de Villa, Kwangju. IBF superflyweight title.
6. Oct. 18, 1989. Luisito Espinosa KO1 Khaokor Galaxy (Thailand), Bangkok. WBA bantamweight title.
7. Dec. 1, 1994. Lester Ellis (Australia) KO1 Al Coquilla, Kalgoorlie. IBO lightwelterweight title.
8. March 29, 1996. Johnny Bredahl (Denmark) KO1 Rolando Pascua, Copenhagen. IBO bantamweight title.
9. Jan. 24, 1998. Kongtawat Oraithaigym (Thailand) KO1 Rico Siodora, Cagayan de Oro. WBF featherweight title.
10. May 29, 1999. Zolani Petelo (South Africa) KO1 Eric Jamili, Hammanskraal. IBF minimumweight title.
11. March 2, 2001. Pongsaklek Wongjongkam (Thailand) KO1 Malcolm Tunacao, Pichit. WBC flyweight title.
12. Oct. 26, 2002. Manny Pacquiao KO1 Fahprakorb Rakkiatgym (Thailand), Davao City. IBF superbantamweight title.
13. Sept. 10, 2005. Brian Viloria KO1 Eric Ortiz (Mexico), Los Angeles. WBC lightflyweight title.
14. Aug. 11, 2007. Daniel Ponce de Leon (Mexico) KO1 Rey (Boom Boom) Bautista, Sacramento. WBO superbantamweight title.
15. Nov. 16, 2007. Nkosinathi Joyi (South Africa) KO1 Gabriel (Boom Boom Toei) Pumar, Port Elizabeth. IBO minimumweight title.
16. Nov. 21, 2009. Giovanni Segura (Mexico) KO1 Sonny Boy Jaro, Merida. WBA lightflyweight title.
Postscript. A memorial Mass will be held for the late Blue Eagle cager Lyle (Jun) Ross Jr. at 6 p.m. tomorrow (Monday) at the Ateneo college chapel, ground floor, Arts and Science Building, Loyola Heights. Ross, 59, died of lung cancer in Sacramento a few days ago. He played on the unbeaten 10-0 Ateneo NCAA juniors champion team in 1966 with close pals Ricky Palou and Chito Afable then on the Blue Eagles NCAA seniors champion team in 1969 with Palou, Afable, Baby Boy Morales, Francis Arnaiz, Joy Cleofas, Marte Samson, the late Frank Harn and Tito Panlilio. Ross also won medals in the NCAA juniors and seniors as Ateneo’s entry in the 100-meter dash, relay and long jump. He earned an AB General Studies degree in 1971. His juniors coach was Tony Vasquez and seniors coach, Nilo Verona. He suited up for MICAA champion Meralco under Bay Mumar for a year before settling in the US. Ross is survived by wife Jane Alcala and children Richie, working in Iloilo, married with two children and daughter Megan, single, living in New Jersey. Ross worked 25 years for Burger King and retired as regional manager, overseeing the New England and New York areas. He was later employed as the ARCO area manager in Sacramento. Robin Tong quoted Panlilio describing Ross as “diligent and intelligent – he breezed through school.” Robin gathered information on Ross from Palou, Panlilio and Jun Dalandan of Ateneo alumni affairs.