ALA Levels Up (Again)

Just when you thought you’ve seen enough and are satisfied, ALA picks it up a notch higher. Satisfied with the Pinoy Pride series that has created a big impact on the boxing and sports for TV market? Aren’t you happy that the series has produced two world champions? And a barnstorming campaign that has reached major cities of the country and nearby Macau? We can’t blame you for being happy and content. But guess what, it looks like the authors of this boxing phenomenon haven’t seen enough just yet. In fact, they’re shifting into high gear; they’re going to do even more.

With Pinoy Pride already acknowledged as a big hit on TV and boxing, ALA Promotions intends to make it even bigger by going international. After all, isn’t that what Pinoy Pride is all about? Today, they’re already talking about a world title fight for Merlito Sabillo in Dubai in November and a boxing event in San Diego, California in the U.S.A. in 2014. Somewhere in between will be another Pinoy Pride possibly in Cebu which could feature world champion Donnie Nietes. The main stars for Pinoy Pride are logically the boxers who have grown and developed with the series and have a chance to make it as world beaters. Aside from Sabillo and Nietes, in this list are Milan Melindo, Genesis Servania, Arthur Villanueva, AJ Banal and Jason Pagara. Although I don’t hear much about him anymore, my guess is that Rocky Fuentes will also be part of this group along with other possible boxers coming from other boxing gyms. So don’t be surprised if Pinoy Pride will have fewer stops in Cebu in the years to come. The good news is that Pinoy Pride is going to become even bigger as it prepares for an international tour.

If Pinoy Pride expands and have fewer local stops, someone or something has to step up, di ba? In comes “Idol.” Idol 1, the first of a series of boxing events around the country took place in Escalante, Negros Occidental last night. This is yet another baby of ALA Promotions that intends to feature the other young potential boxers who may not be as popular as their elder stars, but have as much potential to become world beaters. Last night, Melvin Gumban and Mark Vincent Bernaldez faced off against Indonesian opponents in Gumban’s hometown. Another young prospect who saw action last night was the highly-touted Mark Magsayo of Bohol. The other projects of Idol include Prince Albert Pagara, Ralph Lulu, Mark Acub, Jimmy Paypa, Jerson Mancio, Vic Saludar and other young hopefuls. The big idea for Idol is to provide young boxers the early exposure and breaks that they need in order for them to develop as boxers. This is something that the likes of Nietes and Sabillo didn’t get when they were younger. When they were upstarts, they had to be content with non-televised fights at all sorts of venues and with skimpy budgets. But Idol will make things different. ALA Promotions is taking the same boxing savvy and efficiency to Idol and is going countryside. In Escalante, they also had a presscon, weigh-in and courtesy calls on VIPs of the town: the same elements that have now become SOPs in any boxing event. And on top of that, the fights will be televised over Studio 23. If a boxer can’t be a featured star on Pinoy Pride, he can bank on Idol for that TV exposure. With ABS-CBN as a TV partner, media exposure and reach is guaranteed. An added bonus is that the towns that serve as venues get instant PR pogi points via TV. The additional highlight? ALA Promotions is producing the TV show themselves. That’s another level up venture for the ALA team.

But is that it? There’s even more. After Pinoy Pride and Idol comes the continuing of an expanded version of the ALA Cobra Tunay Na Lakas tour, another nationwide boxing extravaganza that will now cover Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Last Saturday, Jerson Mancio was featured in the main event of an ALA Cobra Tunay na Lakas event in Davao where he won by knockout. Also featured were local boxers from Davao. This is yet another boxing series organized by ALA Promotions on a nationwide scale. Separate teams for the different regions are now being set up so that Cobra Tunay Na Lakas boxing event can be held without a glitch and with continuity from north to south. So if a boxer can’t make it to Pinoy Pride and Idol, the Cobra series is always there as a back-up.

After listening to the ALA Promotions team talk about all three projects, I couldn’t help but ask how they’ll do it. It simply wouldn’t be physically possible for the usual ALA promotions team to set up all these events. So what does ALA do? They set up different production or event teams for the different projects. Thus, we now have one team each for Pinoy Pride, Idol and Cobra. The only common denominator among all three would be Michael Aldeguer and Dennis Canete (and of course the ugy called ALA). Another question: With all these boxing events, do we have enough boxers to fill up the show? Did I even have to ask this?

Pinoy Pride. Idol. Cobra Tunay Na Lakas. That’s ALA Promotions levelling up. Whoa!

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Time-out: Paging DPWH: Any update on the portions of the Cansaga to Tayud Consolacion road that are not yet cemented? Please don’t tell me this is another Napoles gimmick. >>> You can reach me at [email protected].