History of boxing in the Philippines
Despite this claim, centuries old documents still need to be uncovered and translated for verification on whether or not the Philippine natives had a codified system of unarmed combat before boxing since there are no surviving reports and records of any kind of unarmed fighting in Luzon and Visayas practicing a system of empty-hand combat, apart only from local wrestling, as fighting only becomes a martial art if trainings are systematic and orderly, thus, "codified".
However, it was generally believed that three Americans were responsible for the evolution of boxing in the country namely: Frank Churchill and the Tait brothers (Eddie and Stewart)[5] Eddie and Stewart Tait, also dubbed as "Barnums of Borneo", were amusement park entrepreneurs who established carnivals and horse racing tracks in Manila, who arrived in the country in 1902.
[8][9] On October 2, 1939, a sudden uplift came when Ceferino Garcia won the NYSAC world middleweight championship from American Fred Apostoli at the Madison Square Garden, New York, United States.
Garcia also competed with some of the best boxers ever like Barney Ross and Henry Armstrong, to whom he denied his fourth title in four weight divisions through a draw.
[4] On July 20, 1955, Filipino boxing fans saw the birth of Philippine boxing's second golden era as a Cebuano boxer named Gabriel "Flash" Elorde beat the then reigning world featherweight champion and later Hall of Famer Sandy Saddler in a non-title bout at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
[10] Elorde kept his world title inside a division record of 7 years and 2 months with 10 successful defenses, including a one-round knockout of Gomes in a rematch.
[12] In this Elorde inspired period, twenty world champions were created spanning from Roberto Cruz to Gerry Peñalosa along with the formation of the "Big Four of Professional Boxing" or the major sanctioning bodies, namely the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO.
On December 4, 1998, Pacquiao upset Thai Champion Chatchai Sasakul in Thailand to win the Lineal and WBC flyweight championship (his first world title).
Pacquiao, for the second time in his career, was the heavy underdog against South African Lehlohonolo Ledwaba, the reigning IBF super bantamweight champion.
In 2003, Pacquiao's career rose to its peak as he stopped the then reigning Lineal and The Ring featherweight champion Marco Antonio Barrera of Mexico via 11th-round technical knockout.
[13] The Filipino fighter defeated some of the best opposition available on the way to superstardom (earning the nickname "the Mexicutioner") including Mexicans Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Márquez and Antonio Margarito, British Ricky Hatton, Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto, and Americans Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, Timothy Bradley and Keith Thurman.
[14] In 2017, Donnie Nietes became the third Filipino boxer to win world titles in three different weight divisions when he defeated Thailand's Komgrich Nantapech in May 2017.
Referee Carlos "Sonny" Padilla officiated the famous "Thrilla in Manila" match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in 1975.
Danseco judged the world championship fights of some big names in boxing of his generation, such as Canelo Alvarez,[26] Errol Spence Jr.,[27][28][29] Danny García,[30] Robert Guerrero, Julio César Chávez, Bernard Hopkins,[31] Austin Trout, Gerry Penalosa, Pongsaklek Wonjongkam, Badou Jack,[32] Jorge Arce, Jhonny González, Adonis Stevenson, Tony Bellew, Josh Taylor, Toshiaki Nishioka, Shawn Porter, Edgar Sosa, Miguel Berchelt, Leo Santa Cruz,[33] Abner Mares, Amir Khan, Daniel Dubois, Jamel Herring, Jessica McCaskill, Regis Prograis, and Khalid Yafai.
Padilla refereed or judged the fights of notable world champions, including Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Alexis Argüello, Erbito Salavarria, Leon Spinks, Ken Norton, Larry Holmes, Sugar Ray Leonard, Lupe Pintor, Roberto Durán, Marvin Hagler, Roberto Durán, Bobby Chacon, Pipino Cuevas, Julio César Chávez, Michael Spinks, Mike Tyson, Michael Moorer, George Foreman, Azumah Nelson, Riddick Bowe, Terry Norris, Ray Mercer, Iran Barkley, Humberto González, Roger Mayweather, Kennedy McKinney, Johnny Tapia, Marco Antonio Barrera, Antonio Tarver, and Filipino greats Manny Pacquiao, Dodie Boy Peñalosa, Erbito Salavarria, Ben Villaflor, and Rolando Navarette in his career from 1967 until his retirement in year 2000.
The following is a list of Filipino boxing champions who have held titles from one or more of the "Big Four" organizations (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO) and The Ring.
