Derby makes history

The World Slasher Cup, now in its 47th edition, is known as the Olympics of cockfighting and aficionados from all over the world troop to the Araneta Coliseum twice a year to witness the toughest gamefowl competition featuring the fiercest winged warriors ever bred.

It’s a tradition for the Big Dome to host the World Slasher Cup, an event that was started in 1967 by no less than the late Don J. Amado Araneta, father of coliseum owner Jorge (Nene) Araneta.

If Spain has bullfighting as an attraction, the Philippines has cockfighting as its unique contribution to the global sporting calendar.

To make the World Slasher Cup even more competitive, this year’s organizers veered away from the usual three-day format to accommodate the largest batch of participants in history and for the first time, are staging a six-day derby to culminate in two four-cock championship rounds tomorrow and Saturday.

Fans curious to find out why cockfighting is such a passion for aficionados won’t want to miss the action in the two-part finals where the survivors of the two-cock preliminaries and two-cock semifinals battle for supremacy. The finals will no doubt be fast and furious as the fightingest cocks are expected to be at their deadliest.

Last January, the World Slasher Cup welcomed 207 entries to mark a new record of competitors. But in the first edition this year, the entries soared to 240, setting another record as local and foreign enthusiasts made sure their best birds were in the cast to vie for the prestigious championship. Some 200 cockers are involved in the derby.

Action began last Monday with the Group A two-cock eliminations. Heading the Group A winners were Boy Marzo’s entries BM Bulalayaw UFC and BM Bulalayaw Abenmach and his son-in-law Ricki Reyes’ Rian Colors Octagon BM and Octagon Oliver Colors. The Group A two-cock semifinals were held yesterday with the winners advancing to the four-cock Group A finals tomorrow.

The Group B two-cock eliminations were staged last Tuesday with the winners moving on to the two-cock semifinals today. The Group B four-cock finals are scheduled on Saturday.

Defending titlist Marcel Julao is fielding two entries with the goal of a back-to-back championship to duplicate the feat achieved by cocker Peping Ricafort 10 years ago. Ricafort, who topped the World Slasher Cup in January and June 2000, has two entries himself and will try to block Julao’s ambitious bid.

Julao won the solo crown last June, compiling 6 1/2 points. The championship in last year’s January derby was shared by three Filipino balikbayans - Jorge Torres of California, the MJRG Group of Chicago and Rodel Costales of California.

* * * *

Two-time World Slasher Cup winner Gengen Arayata of Cavite registered four entries in the current edition and is out to complete a long-awaited Grand Slam. Also with four entries is engineer Sonny Lagon of Blue Blade Game Farms. Lagon recently bagged the Laguna Gamefowl Breeders Association’s Breeder of the Year title which he shared with Pol Estrellado. Both Lagon and Estrellado own farms in San Pablo City. Most of Lagon’s fighters are the much talked about Swites (Sweater-White) or Blue Blade Swites crosses.

According to cockfighting columnist Lando Luzong, the prize money in the World Slasher Cup isn’t what turns on the participants. “It’s the prestige of winning the championship of the Olympics of cockfighting,” said Luzong. “The world’s best cockers come to Manila for the derby. Their motivation is to win the championship, not for the money but for the honor.”

Each entry of eight cocks carries a registration fee of P60,000. With 240 entries, the total sum generated by the registration fees is P14.4 Million. A 10 percent allocation is set aside for operating costs, leaving P13 million as prize money.

Before the Group A finals tomorrow, an announcement will be made on the distribution of prize money. Traditionally, organizers allocate 60 to 70 percent of the pot to the champion, which means a range of P7.8 to 9.1 million. The balance will be used as bonus for entries that compile a certain level of points – for example, seven or six.

Luzong said the staging of two finals is unprecedented. The large number of entries prompted the innovation. In the final reckoning, the derby will crown the eight-cock entry with the most points – one point for a win, a half-point for a draw and no point for a loss. Depending on the performance of the entries, the point system will determine if the winner is a solo champion or the title will be shared by two or more.

* * * *

Luzong said the last foreign entry to win a World Slasher Cup was owned by American cocker Larry Whitehead in 2005. Another American Roger Roberts of Atlanta has also won the championship. Former PBA commissioner Rudy Salud once won a solo title.

The Games and Amusements Board is supervising the derby.

 where each cock weighs within the range of 1.9 to 2.5 kilos. The blade affixed to each cock is the Filipino-style curved bolo-like knife which is unlike the American version of a pointed one-inch “ice-pick.” The local version has no length limit - the cocker has the leeway to determine the length depending on the ability of the gamefowl to carry the blade and its fighting style.

Other prominent Filipino cockers participating in the derby are Dicky Lim, Honey Yu, Rey Briones, Boy Lechon, Cito Alberto, Manny Dalipe, Patrick Antonio, former Gov. Ito Ynares, Biboy Enriquez, Gerry Ramos, Boy Diaz, Cong. Claude Bautista, Raymond Velayo, Eddie Araneta, former Cong. Peping Cojuangco, former Cong. Rudy Albano, Rey Briones, Wilson Ong, Edwin Aranez, Jesry Palmares, Bernie Tacoy, Wilvin Sy, Rey Moria, Gov. Eddie Bong Plaza, Mayor Joseph Panganiban, Eddie Aparri, Boy Tanyag, Sonny Magtibay, Raymond Burgos, Frank, Greg and William Berin, Tady Palma, Judge Jose Paneda, Cong. Gerry Espina, Celso Evangelista, Roberto Concepcion and Gerry Escalona.

Foreigners with entries include Roberts, Ray Alexander and Brian Corkren of Alabama, Kali Casco, Kiana Borovies and Mike Formosa of Hawaii, Tom Cooper and Jeff Hudspeth of North Carolina, Brad Padgette of Oregon, Wilbert LeBlanc of Louisiana (who breeds roosters in a Laguna farm), Costales, Torres, Jorge (Goy) Goitia of California, Arthur Rhodes of Tennessee, Damon Yorkman and Clarence Perkins of Kentucky, Joe Tavares, James Campbell, Bill McNutt, Joe Wolcott, Bruce Barnette and Richard Harris,

An entry from Indonesia, Mahakam Farm, made it to the Group A semifinals. Other entries were listed from Japan, Guam, Saipan, Germany and Malaysia.