ALA chief trainer tells boxers not to lose hope

CEBU, Philippines —  Despite the quarantine measures in the face of global malady, ALA Gym chief trainer and manager Edito Villamor keeps himself busy these days.

Not in training boxers or setting up fights but in helping his wife Ginna tend their mini-grocery store in Barangay Pagsabungan, Mandaue City.

That’s what he is doing each day to make himself more productive at this time when most people are trapped in the confines of their homes due to the deadly virus.

“I’m not only able to help my wife with our small business, the situation also gives me quality time to bond with my family,” said Villamor, a proud father of four in Ala Rad Vince (18), King Justy Ala (17), Pretty Ail (15), and AJ Ala (12).

Of the four, it seems that King Justy is the one to follow in his footsteps having won gold medal in the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA). AJ, on the other hand, is a rising star in karatedo with multiple titles tucked under his belt.

Looking at the way things are going on, Villamor gamely admitted that he felt a bit sad upon seeing that some of their boxers have somehow lost their passion in training.

“Some of our boxers went home because of the unpredictability of the situation. No one knows when this crisis will end,” said Villamor. “As of now, we only have three boxers left in the gym. Those who did not go home are Milan Melindo, Melvin Jerusalem, and Jonas Sultan.”

Just like any other coaches, Villamor is doing his homework with regard to keeping their athletes fit and active at this point of time.

“I adviced our boxers not to gain weight, keep themselves in best shape and top condition,” said the 49-year-old Villamor, who will be a ‘golden boy’on October 18. “They must do all kinds of exercises available for them to stay fit and active.”

Above all, Villamor told their boxers to be steadfast in their faith in the face of uncertainty, that everything is temporary, and that everything will be back to its normal state one day.

“They must not lose hope,” said the fighting pride of Magsaysay, Davao del Sur.”Even if they don’t know yet what the future holds, they must took it as an opportunity to strive harder.”

A decorated pro boxer during his prime, Villamor can lay claim as one of the brightest fighters Cebu’s fabled ALA gym has ever produced.

So special Villamor was that he’s the only one given the distinct privilege to use the ring name ‘ALA’, which stands for Antonio Lopez Aldeguer - the gym’s founder widely regarded as the godfather of Cebu boxing.

After stopping Jun Mendoza in his pro debut on June 3, 1989 in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental, Villamor stamped a perfect 24-0 record before suffering his first defeat to Thai Anucha Pothong via TKO during their IBF minimumweight title bout on June 27, 1993 at Thailand’s National Stadium in Bangkok.

Villamor bounced back with five more wins but he eventually retired after being knocked out by Mexican legend Ricardo “Finito” Lopez in their WBC minimumweight championship match on March 16, 1996 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

In 32 fights of his storied career that spanned for seven years, Villamor has compiled a sterling 29-2-1 record spiked with 26KOs or a spectacular knockout rate of 81.25 percent.

Villamor may not have achieved his childhood dream to become a world champion but he is more than happy to accomplish the feat as a trainer.

As a ring strategist, Villamor helped mold two of ALA Gym’s world champions in Melindo (WBO minimumweight) and Merlito “Tiger” Sabillo (WBO light flyweight).

He’s also part of the training team of four-division world titlist Donnie ‘Ahas’ Nietes, who broke Gabriel “Flash” Elorde’s record as the longest reigning Filipino world boxing champion in history.

That sums up Villamor’s epic storyline - a champion boxer, trainer, and father.