“Do you know that Manny Pacquiao will be breaking a jinx—and therefore making history again—if he wins the WBC super welterweight title against Mexico’s Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13 at the Dallas Cowboy Stadium in Texas?”
My boxing IQ was being tested by Teddy Reynoso, a rabid boxing fan and researcher who works for the LUWA.
Of course I failed the test, just as three boxing authorities I consulted did when I asked them the same question later. Teddy’s research went so far back in time, nobody clearly remembers.
Neither were the boxing enthusiasts too interested whether or not the Pacman was breaking a jinx. To them, this achievement was a triviality.
To Teddy however, the discovery was big news. Immediately after our conversation, he e-mailed a three-page, single-spaced document containing the result of his extensive research.
I went through the manuscript and got even more confused. He wrote about Filipino boxers as far back as the 1930s who failed to win a title in the super welterweight, the junior middleweight and the light middleweight divisions.
The youngest boxing scribe I consulted explained that the weight limit of all three divisions is 154 lb, except that they go by different names, depending on the world boxing association organizing the fight.
He also said that the Philippines already had a world champion in that weight category: Ceferino “Bolo” Garcia, circa 1939.
“Why don’t you just write about the fight last night between Brian Viloria and Sor Veerapol of Thailand, instead of ‘The Jinx.’ That would be more interesting,” the scribe said.
* * *
Last Friday’s “Fight Fest” may be an indication that “The Hawaiian Punch” is on his way to a successful comeback.
“If you ask me, I saw 70 percent of the old Viloria last night,” the young scribe said. “Brian looked better and he was more spectacular than the last time he fought against Cesar Soto, where the fight went the full stretch and with Brian ultimately winning by decision.”
After this fight, I remember asking Brian where his deadly knockout punch which brought him fame and glory had gone. Brian promised to train really hard for his next fight to get it back.
Last Friday’s seventh round TKO of Veerapol was a clear indication that Brian had kept his promise. The young boxing scribe credits the boxer’s impressive progress to his new trainer Mario Morales, who used to train world champ Edwin Valero.
“Remember Valero? He visited the Philippines once with David Diaz to attend a big party in GenSan hosted by Pacquiao. I can’t recall if it was Manny’s birthday celebration,” the scribe said.
I remember meeting Diaz in a small luncheon, but at that time, Valero had not arrived in the Philippines yet.
“Before his untimely death at age 24, Valero had logged an ultra-impressive record of 27 wins, all of them via knockout, and no loss. His first 18 wins were by first-round knockouts.”
My scribe-friend said if Valero were alive today, he would be facing Pacquiao instead of Margarito. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum had been arranging for a Pacquiao-Valero fight, according to him.
The Venezuelan boxer committed suicide early this year by hanging himself after he was accused of killing his wife.
* * *
Late yesterday afternoon, just as I was putting the finishing touches to this column, I got a call from the young boxing scribe I consulted. He said Teddy Reynoso was right, after all. No Filipino boxer had won a world title in the 154-pound weight division. Ceferino Garcia took the middleweight (160 lb) world title via a knockout over American title holder Fred Apostoli on Oct. 2, 1939.
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