Many Filipinos began emigrating to the United States, mostly California and Hawaii, as farm laborers.

Some used false names and traveled around so they could get around the boxing commission rules and fight more often without any restrictions.

Ceferino Garcia is commonly referred to as the inventor of the bolo punch, though a 1924 article appearing in the Tacoma News-Tribune reported a Filipino boxer named Macario Flores to be using it.

When the rival concentrates on the hand that is not moving, the bolo puncher will usually follow through with a full punch.

Three of the most famous cases of a fighter using the bolo punch were when Leonard avenged his loss to Roberto Durán in "The No Más Fight", when Leonard drew with Thomas Hearns in their second fight, and when Ike Ibeabuchi knocked out Chris Byrd with a left-handed bolo punch during their 1999 heavyweight contest.