Genesis cited as most promising

The 14th Flash Elorde Boxing Awards Night and Banquet of Champions will assemble the country’s ring luminaries at the Harbour Garden Tent in the Sofitel Hotel tonight. Three-time world titlist Nonito Donaire Jr. flew in from Las Vegas yesterday to attend the event.  Two reigning Filipino rulers, WBO lightflyweight king Donnie Nietes and IBF lightflyweight boss Johnriel Casimero, will be honored as Boxers of the Year with Donaire and Merlito Sabillo. Unfortunately, Sabillo lost his WBO minimumweight crown in Mexico last Saturday and won’t be around as he arrives from San Diego tomorrow.

WBO Asia Pacific and WBO Intercontinental superbantamweight titleholder Genesis Servania of Bacolod City will be recognized as the Most Promising Boxer. It’s a richly-deserved honor for the 22-year-old “Asukal” whose record is 24-0, with 10 KOs. Early this month, he scored a rousing 12th round stoppage over former WBA superflyweight champion Alexander Muñoz of Venezuela at the Solaire Hotel Resort and Casino.

The moniker “Asukal” or “Sugar” is significant in boxing. Surely, there is pressure on Servania to live up to the nickname that was also used by Ray Robinson (real name Walker Smith Jr.), Ray Leonard, Ultiminio Ramos, Ray Seales and Shane Mosley. Robinson was the first to adopt the moniker when a writer said he fought as sweet as sugar.  Servania’s Bacolod roots had something to do with the choice of his moniker “Asukal.”

There are other awards to be handed out tonight which also happens to be the late Elorde’s 79th birthday. Elorde died of lung cancer on Jan. 2, 1985. The Hall of Famer is considered to be one of the greatest Asian boxing champions ever and holds the record for the longest reign as a Filipino world titlist, staying on top of the junior lightweight division over seven years.

Servania’s manager Michael Aldeguer will be cited as best promoter, Silvestre Abainza best referee, lawyer Danrex Tapdasan best judge and Edmund Villamor best trainer. Posthumous awards will be given to promoter Ramon (Moy) Lainez who passed away last July 13 and former WBC president Jose Sulaiman who died last Jan. 16. In the amateur division, Olympian Mark Anthony Barriga will be recognized as the best male fighter and 2013 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist and 2012 world champion Josie Gabuco the best female. Also to be honored are Filipino fighters who reigned as Philippine champions or held some kind of international distinction last year.

Curiously, the honor roll excludes three reigning Filipino world champions who hold titles in not-too-popular governing bodies. They are IBO lightflyweight titlist Rey Loreto, IBO superflyweight ruler Edrin Dapudong and IBA superflyweight champion Bruno Escalante. The IBO was established in 1992 and Manny Pacquiao once held the IBO lightwelterweight crown. The IBA was founded in 1996 by former major league baseball pitcher Dean Chance.  

Aldeguer said there’s no doubt in his mind that Servania will someday become a world champion. “He has the determination, the skill and most of all, the heart of a champion,” said Aldeguer. “He is fearless. All he needs is the right time, he has learned the last few years that he has the power but he never used it, that’s why his record is deceiving.”

Aldeguer referred to Servania’s record of only 10 stoppages in 24 victories. Two years ago, Servania faced Mexico’s Jorge Pazos. He dropped Pazos thrice but couldn’t dispose of the durable fighter and settled for a win on points. One of his victims was Indonesian veteran Angky Angkota who once decisioned Nietes and went the distance with Mexico’s Jorge Arce. Angkota was stopped by Servania in seven.

Servania’s toughest match so far was against Japan’s former Oriental champion Konosuke Tomiyama in Macau last July. Servania and Tomiyama traded knockdowns in the first round then the Japanese was decked in the third. The fight was interrupted by referee Tapdasan at 1:42 of the ninth with Servania ruled unfit to continue because of a cut on his left eyelid inflicted by an accidental headbutt. Servania won by a split technical decision. Filipino judge Salven Lagumbay saw it 86-83 for Servania and surprisingly, Japanese judge Takeshi Shimakawa had it a wider margin for “Asukal,” 87-82. The dissenting judge was Thai Sawaeng Taweekoon who scored it 85-84 for Tomiyama.

Servania’s performance against Muñoz showed his resiliency. Muñoz was expected to slug it out but instead, chose to box from a distance, catching the Filipino a bit off-guard in the early going. Servania had to adjust his fight plan at midstream before finally, putting Muñoz away.

“As much as I was pleased with Servania’s performance against a former world champion who has a lot of experience, I believe he needs to pick his punches more and could’ve thrown more combinations in targeting the body,” said Aldeguer. “What was good is that he knew what he could’ve done. When he was interviewed after the fight, he mentioned that he could have thrown more combinations to the body then to the head if not for the thick cushion of the canvas that restricted his lateral movement. Whatever, it was a great win as he knocked out Muñoz in the 12th round which showed his excellent stamina and condition, a tribute to the trainers in the ALA gym. Servania will definitely be better as he matures.”

Servania is one of seven children. An older brother used to box but now, only Servania and a younger brother Rolando are the active fighters in the family. Rolando has a 6-0 record, with 2 KOs, as a bantamweight.

“The Servanias live a few kilometers away from downtown Bacolod in a fishing village called Barangay Punta Taytay,” said Aldeguer. “His older brother who used to box is now a trainer at a boxing fitness gym. His father is a small-time rice trader while his mother is a fish vendor. With what Genesis has earned as a fighter, his parents put in more capital to expand their business and are now earning more than double than what they used to. Genesis is very much a bachelor and unattached at the moment. He claims to have no particular girlfriend.”