Boxing pillars Pacquiao, Donaire to take the spotlight as Elorde Awards return

MANILA, Philippines – The Gabriel “Flash” Elorde Boxing Awards Banquet of Champions will be returning on March 25 for its 23rd anniversary at the Okada Manila Grand Ballroom in Parañaque City.  

After a three-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual awards night will be back to honor the country’s best and top performing amateur and professional boxers from 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Johnny, one of Elorde’s seven children, announced that eight-division world champion former Sen. Manny Pacquiao and four-weight division world champion Nonito Donaire Jr. would be cited with the Special Award of Distinction for continuously reaping world championship crowns. This aside from the fact that the two Filipino boxing legends have been elevated to the Elorde Hall of Fame several years back and won the Boxer of the Year award for seven consecutive times.

“After three years, we are finally back to recognize the accomplishments of more Filipino upcoming boxing stars and current world champions every year,” said Elorde, whose wife Liza is the event head organizer. 

A total of seven boxers have been chosen as Boxer of the Year, headed by former IBF super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas (2019, 2020 and 2021) ex-WBO bantamweight champion Johnriel Casimero (2019, 2020 and 2021), former IBF minimum weight titleholder Pedro Taduran (2019 and 2020), former IBF minimum weight champion Rene Mark Cuarto (2021 and 2022), former WBC featherweight champion Mark Magsayo (2022), reigning IBO flyweight champion Dave Apolinario (2019 and 2021), and former WBO and WBA minimum weight champion Vic Saludar. 

The event will also honor amateur fighters who won medals in the Tokyo Olympics — silver medalists Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio, and bronze medalist Eumir Felix Marcial — together with 2019 Southeast Asian Games boxing medalists. 

Also set to be named are the Fight of the Year, Most Promising Boxer, Best Manager, Best Trainer, Best Referee, Special Awards to benefactors and boxing’s most influential people, and Best Amateur Fighters. The 23 Philippine champions and 62 world/international/regional champions will likewise be feted. 

Aside from celebrating the 88th birthday of Filipino ring legend and icon Elorde, the awards night will also pay tribute to the matriarch Laura Elorde, the wife of Gabriel, who passed away in May 2020. 

The inaugural Elorde Awards were held in 2000 at the Manila Hotel.

Prior to the start of the awards, traditional pro championship boxing bouts will be staged starting at 3 p.m.