11/18/09
Pray for Z Gorres's speedy recovery
Cebu sports editor Mike Limpag described Z Gorres as a good man.
Mike admired him because of his humility.
Z Gorres won his bout in the Pacquiao-Cotto undercard against Colombian Juan Melendez via unanimous decision.
Melendez landed a strong left cross on the head of Z Gorres and knocked him down, 25 seconds left in the final round.
Few minutes later, the ALA fighter of Cebu was rushed to the hospital and underwent surgery to remove the blood clot.
He is in stable condition at the University Medical Center but observers said that Z Gorres will be no longer fit to fight.
Mike, a regular in the Philippine Airlines Inter-Club Golf Tournament coverage, I am sure is very relieved of the good news.
What we can do right now is to include Z Gorres in our prayers for a speedy recovery.
Mike admired him because of his humility.
Z Gorres won his bout in the Pacquiao-Cotto undercard against Colombian Juan Melendez via unanimous decision.
Melendez landed a strong left cross on the head of Z Gorres and knocked him down, 25 seconds left in the final round.
Few minutes later, the ALA fighter of Cebu was rushed to the hospital and underwent surgery to remove the blood clot.
He is in stable condition at the University Medical Center but observers said that Z Gorres will be no longer fit to fight.
Mike, a regular in the Philippine Airlines Inter-Club Golf Tournament coverage, I am sure is very relieved of the good news.
What we can do right now is to include Z Gorres in our prayers for a speedy recovery.
10/14/09
BROWNE-BELANDRES WBC YOUTH TITLE BOUT ON ABS CBN STUDIO 23 OCT. 17
The controversial fight between Australian Davey Browne, Jr. and Filipino Reynaldo Belandres held in Sydney, Australia Oct. 9 will be shown on "Tomorrow's Champions," a boxing program aired every Saturday at 9:30 a.m. on ABS CBN's Studio 23.
North Cotabato Vice Gov. Manny Pinol, whose Braveheart Boxing Club manages Belandres, said former world champion Jeff Fenech in whose program "Jeff Fenech Fight Night" the fight was aired and Bill Treacy, owner of the Grange Old School Boxing, which promoted the bout, gave him the permission to air the video of the event to give Filipino boxing fans an opportunity to see the controversial fight.
Browne, 22, (17 wins, 1 loss, 4 KOs before the fight) one of the rising stars of Australian boxing who stands 5' 11", was matched against former national amateur boxer Reynaldo Belandres, 23, of Matalam, North Cotabato for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) Youth World Featherweight title set for 10 rounds at the plush Star City Casino and Hotel in downtown Sydney.
Shorter by about 6 inches in height, Belandres , who had a record of 15 wins, 10 KOs and 2 draws before the bout, brought the fight to the Australian following his corner's instructions to get inside the long arms of Browne and dig into the midsection.
Belandres succeeded in dominating the fight, opening up a cut over the right eye of Browne in the 2nd round which turned the Australian's face into a bloody mess while at the same time staggering the latter several times with left hooks and overhand rights.
The highly-partisan Australian crowd fell silent as round after round the shorter Filipino fighter pursued Browne around the small ring and delivered haymakers in contrast to the pawing punches of the Australian.
But while Belandres was able to overcome the reach and height advantage and tamed the partisan crowd, he was not able to survive the pens of the three Australian judges who scored the fight 98-92, 97-95 and 97-94, all in favor of Browne.
The decision was widely booed by the Australian boxing fans and denounced as "robbery" by the promoter himself, Bill Treacy, American former world middleweight and lightheavyweight champion Mike McCallum who was at ringside, and other prominent personalities at ringside.
Jeff Fenech, who was doing the commentary of the fight and making an unofficial scoring of the fight which he saw Browne's way, called the lopsided scoring of the fight as "disgusting."
Even Browne' father and trainer, Davey Sr., admitted to Australian trainer Todd Makelin and he and his son were also surprised by the verdict. He has promised to give Belandres a rematch in the spirit of fairness and sportsmanship but this will take place next year to allow his son's injuries to heal.(pr)
North Cotabato Vice Gov. Manny Pinol, whose Braveheart Boxing Club manages Belandres, said former world champion Jeff Fenech in whose program "Jeff Fenech Fight Night" the fight was aired and Bill Treacy, owner of the Grange Old School Boxing, which promoted the bout, gave him the permission to air the video of the event to give Filipino boxing fans an opportunity to see the controversial fight.
Browne, 22, (17 wins, 1 loss, 4 KOs before the fight) one of the rising stars of Australian boxing who stands 5' 11", was matched against former national amateur boxer Reynaldo Belandres, 23, of Matalam, North Cotabato for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) Youth World Featherweight title set for 10 rounds at the plush Star City Casino and Hotel in downtown Sydney.
Shorter by about 6 inches in height, Belandres , who had a record of 15 wins, 10 KOs and 2 draws before the bout, brought the fight to the Australian following his corner's instructions to get inside the long arms of Browne and dig into the midsection.
Belandres succeeded in dominating the fight, opening up a cut over the right eye of Browne in the 2nd round which turned the Australian's face into a bloody mess while at the same time staggering the latter several times with left hooks and overhand rights.
The highly-partisan Australian crowd fell silent as round after round the shorter Filipino fighter pursued Browne around the small ring and delivered haymakers in contrast to the pawing punches of the Australian.
But while Belandres was able to overcome the reach and height advantage and tamed the partisan crowd, he was not able to survive the pens of the three Australian judges who scored the fight 98-92, 97-95 and 97-94, all in favor of Browne.
The decision was widely booed by the Australian boxing fans and denounced as "robbery" by the promoter himself, Bill Treacy, American former world middleweight and lightheavyweight champion Mike McCallum who was at ringside, and other prominent personalities at ringside.
Jeff Fenech, who was doing the commentary of the fight and making an unofficial scoring of the fight which he saw Browne's way, called the lopsided scoring of the fight as "disgusting."
Even Browne' father and trainer, Davey Sr., admitted to Australian trainer Todd Makelin and he and his son were also surprised by the verdict. He has promised to give Belandres a rematch in the spirit of fairness and sportsmanship but this will take place next year to allow his son's injuries to heal.(pr)
10/3/09
Belandres In Shape for Biggest Fight In Young Career
Former amateur standout and college student Reynaldo Belandres is just 3 pounds over the featherweight limit as he gets into perfect shape for the biggest fight of his young career, the World Boxing Council (WBC) World Youth Featherweight Championship against Australia's Davey Brown on Oct. 9 in Sydney.
Belandres, 23, undefeated in 17 professional fights with two draws and 10 KOs, will be flying to Sydney on Oct. 6 along with assistant trainer Bruce Lerio. His manager, North Cotabato Vice Gov. Manny Pinol, is set to take the trip a day before the fight.
Belandres and Lerio will be welcomed in Sydney by Garry Keane, an Australian who is married to Vice Gov. Pinol's cousin, Mae, and former professional fighter Todd Makelin, a friend of the vice governor who fought Manny Pacquiao many years ago in Kidapawan City.
"This is just a World Youth Championship but for us in North Cotabato, this is something very big because this will be the first time one of our boxers will be fighting for a world championship," said Vice Gov. Pinol.
Vice Gov. Pinol said he decided to travel to Australia because he wanted to be in the corner of Belandres during the fight.
"Belandres is young and he needs a lot of guidance during the fight," he said.
Against Brown, Belandres will be facing a very tall fighter who is a ring tactician and has fought many difficult bouts in his career.
"If Reynaldo wins this one, then the regular world featherweight title will be in our sights," he said.
Belandres is one of the many outstanding boxers of the Braveheart Boxing Club of North Cotabato, five of whom are already regional champions of the World Boxing Organization (WBO).
The WBO regional champions are: Rommel "Little Assassin" Asenjo, 20, miniflyweight Oriental titlist; Edrin "The Sting" Dapudong, 23, junior flyweight Oriental champion; Rolando "Smooth Operator" Magbanua, 24, WBO Interim Oriental bantamweight champion; Jundy "Pretty Boy" Maraon, 24, WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight champion and Lorenzo "Thunderbolt" Villanueva, 23, WBO Oriental Featherweight titlist.
Belandres, 23, undefeated in 17 professional fights with two draws and 10 KOs, will be flying to Sydney on Oct. 6 along with assistant trainer Bruce Lerio. His manager, North Cotabato Vice Gov. Manny Pinol, is set to take the trip a day before the fight.
Belandres and Lerio will be welcomed in Sydney by Garry Keane, an Australian who is married to Vice Gov. Pinol's cousin, Mae, and former professional fighter Todd Makelin, a friend of the vice governor who fought Manny Pacquiao many years ago in Kidapawan City.
"This is just a World Youth Championship but for us in North Cotabato, this is something very big because this will be the first time one of our boxers will be fighting for a world championship," said Vice Gov. Pinol.
Vice Gov. Pinol said he decided to travel to Australia because he wanted to be in the corner of Belandres during the fight.
"Belandres is young and he needs a lot of guidance during the fight," he said.
Against Brown, Belandres will be facing a very tall fighter who is a ring tactician and has fought many difficult bouts in his career.
"If Reynaldo wins this one, then the regular world featherweight title will be in our sights," he said.
Belandres is one of the many outstanding boxers of the Braveheart Boxing Club of North Cotabato, five of whom are already regional champions of the World Boxing Organization (WBO).
The WBO regional champions are: Rommel "Little Assassin" Asenjo, 20, miniflyweight Oriental titlist; Edrin "The Sting" Dapudong, 23, junior flyweight Oriental champion; Rolando "Smooth Operator" Magbanua, 24, WBO Interim Oriental bantamweight champion; Jundy "Pretty Boy" Maraon, 24, WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight champion and Lorenzo "Thunderbolt" Villanueva, 23, WBO Oriental Featherweight titlist.
9/5/09
DAVAO DEL NORTE’S CHARLY SUAREZ WINS IN THE 2009 MILAN AIBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
DAVAO DEL NORTE’S CHARLY SUAREZ WINS IN THE 2009 MILAN AIBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
As the five-man Philippine Team contingent faces the toughest challenge in the on-going 2009 AIBA World Championships in Milan, Italy, a Davao del Norte amateur pugilist surely made a mark in this prestigious event.
Charly Suarez, easily Mindanao’s most promising amateur boxing standout to date who started his early amateur days as a member of the nationally-acclaimed Tonyboy Floirendo-fathered Barangay Una Boxing Team before joining the Philippine Team training pool, played with wit and grit as he overwhelmed Julian Stan of Romania with a score of 18-8. His next fight will be against the Korean Min Jae Joo ranked no.55 in the world ratings. Suarez, now a Philippine Army campaigner in the featherweight division (55-57 kgs.) is one of the five amateur boxers to represent the country in this tourney which features top caliber fighters from around the globe. Other team members include 2008 Moscow World Championships Gold Medalist Harry Tañamor, 2006 Doha Asian Games Gold Medalist Joan Tipon, Genebert Basadre, and Joegin Ladon.
Though still young at 23, Charly Suarez already participated in numerous international tournaments such as the 2009 Chicago World Championships, 2006 Thailand King’s Cup, among others and has recently finished his training with other RP bets in Cuba along with Rey Saludar, also a former Barangay Una Boxing Team stalwart.
Cong. Anton Lagdameo of the 2nd District of Davao del Norte who continues to support the grassroots program of the Barangay Una Boxing Team, is very much pleased with the results saying ”Though the win of Suarez is still in the preliminary stages, his triumph is well-meant as it signifies also the success of our Barangayanihan Sports Development Program particularly in amateur boxing at the grassroot-level and its contribution to the nation’s training pool”. Lagdameo hoped that Suarez along with the other competing RP Team fighters will eventually have a breakthrough campaign and haul back a gold medal to the country.
7/14/09
Year of the Bravehearts
Rommel "Little Assassin" Asenjo
Rolando "Smooth Operator" Magbanua
Lorenzo "Thunberbolt" Villanueva
Jundy "Pretty Boy" Maraon
Edrin "The Sting" DapudongPrepare your 2010 boxing calendar this early. Make sure it is adorned with a Big Red Heart pierced by a flash of lightning.
If Lady Luck smiles, 2010 could be the year of the Braveheart Boys of North Cotabato, a province in the Southern Philippines which has a long history of conflict and violence but which has stood out as one of the most outstanding local government units in the country.
With five regional champions in its folds, Braveheart Boxing Club could finally realize the dream of its patron, North Cotabato Vice Governor Manny Pinol to produce world boxing champions.
Braveheart boxers now own five World Boxing Organization (WBO) regional titles. Tiny Rommel "Little Assassin" Asenjo, 20, (14 wins, 2 losses, 12 KOs) holds the WBO Oriental Miniflyweight title; Edrin "The Sting" Dapudong, 23, (21 wins, 2 losses, 13 KOs) is the WBO Oriental Junior Flyweight titlist; Jundy "Pretty Boy" Maraon, 24, (14 wins, 11 KOs, 1 draw) is the WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight champion; Rolando "Smooth Operator" Magbanua, 24, (17 wins, 12 KOs) is the WBO Interim Oriental bantamweight champion; and Lorenzo "Thunberbolt" Villanueva, 23, (15 wins, 15 KOs, 1ND), raw and awkward but tough as a nail recently stopped Asian Games gold medallist Eric Canoy to win the WBO Oriental featherweight crown.
"It could happen in 2010. A few of the boys are already ripe for the world championships," said Pinol, who as Governor of the province from 1998 to 2007 embarked on a grassroots boxing program that staged matches among barefoot boys during village and town fiestas and selected from among them those who had the prospect of becoming champions.
In 2005, with the help of the Cuban ambassador to the Philippines and the Philippine Sports Commission under Butch Ramirez, then governor Pinol travelled to Cuba with bosom friend journalist Recah Trinidad and brought home to North Cotabato jaded Cuban trainer Honorato Espinosa who gave his country its first Olympic gold medal in Munich.
Espinosa stayed in North Cotabato for 18 months and trained local trainors including Vice Gov. Pinol's younger brother, Noli, who is now Braveheart's chief trainer. The Cuban influence is very visible in the fighting style of the Braveheart boxers who are aggressive and excellent body punchers.
At least four of these boys are already ready for the big time, said Vice Gov. Pinol.
"Magbanua, Maraon, Dapudong and Asenjo could already stand up to the best in the world in their division. I will certainly entertain the idea of pitting Magbanua in the junior featherweight division. Maraon could go up against the winner of the Fernando Montiel-Eric Morel bout, Dapudong could take on Ivan Calderon while Asenjo could go up against Donnie Nietes," said Vice Gov. Pinol.
"Of course, there is no guarantee that our boys will prevail over these popular and outstanding opponents but they certainly will give boxing fans something to remember," he said.
Vice Gov. Pinol said the next group of fighters who are still being honed and fine-tuned include Lorenzo Villanueva, undefeated featherweight Reynaldo Belandres and undefeated flyweight Jermie Jabel.
"About 30 more boys as young as 14 are now training as amateurs and waiting for their turn to be given a chance to prove their worth," he said.
"Those who do not have the skills and the heart are simply told to go back to school," Vice Gov. Pinol said adding that the selection of good boxers is just as tough as separating the grain from the chaff.
With a sustained effort and well-planned boxing program, Filipino boxing fans could watch out for the Braveheart Boys in 2010 and the years after that.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)