By Rey Danseco
ANOTHER grandson of Gabriel “Flash” Elorde, from his second eldest son Johnny Elorde, will also aim to follow his footsteps.
Mig Elorde will fight Ranel dela Tonga, a native of Samar province but based in the Cavite province, in a scheduled four-round bantamweight bout on the 8th Gabriel “Flash” Elorde Awards Night on March 25 at the Centennial Hall of the Manila Hotel in the Philippines.
The 20-year-old Elorde and his 22-year-old opponent are both making their professional debuts.
The lanky Elorde, who has a strong left hook like his grandfather, emulates his older brother, Bai Elorde, of turning in the paid ranks after graduation at the College of St. Benilde in Manila.
Bai, 23, is also slated to see action in card. He’ll make his seventh-fight after turning pro in February last year, following his short stint as a member of the national training pool of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines.
Bai will make his first fight in the lightweight division after posting a 6-0 record with 1 knockout as a super featherweight. He will takes on Romnick Tejaño (2-3-1, 1 KO) from Trece Martires in a scheduled 6-round bout.
In the main event, RP featherweight champion Vinvin Rufino puts his title on the line against RP No. 3 Jack Asis of Binan, Laguna.
Flash Elorde, who died in 1985 at the age of 49 due to lung cancer, became the country’s greatest boxer when he ruled the super featherweight division in the world from 1960 to 1967.
The Flash Elorde Banquet of Champions gathers many of the Filipino champions. The elite rosters of awardees includes former two-division world champion Luisito “Lindol” Espinosa, who's lived in the United States for the last 10-years
The Elorde clan expects the 40-year-old Espinosa to come home from California on March 22.
The Elorde brothers are the fourth and fifth in the family to fight professionally. The Flash’s younger brother Ramon and Johnny, who won the gold medal in 1979 Southeast Asian Games, also fought in the paid ranks.
