By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Three reigning Filipino world champions will be honored as “Boxers of the Year” at the annual Gabriel “Flash” Elorde Memorial Awards to be held at the historic Manila Hotel Tent City on March 25.
The Annual Awards will be telecast on the top-rated Viva Sports weekly boxing show “The Main Event” on Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. over CS/9, sponsored by Tanduay, the No.1 Rhum and Pagcor.
IBF/IBO flyweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire, WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa and WBO minimum weight champion Donnie Nietes will receive boxing’s highest accolade alongside boxing icon Manny Pacquiao who will be honored this year as the World’s No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer.
Pacquiao who faces Britain’s IBO light welterweight champion Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton in an eagerly awaited showdown at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 2 was elevated to the Elorde Boxing all of Fame in 2007. Pacquiao and the three reigning world champions cited as “Boxers of the Year” will lead international and national champions in the Awards Night and Banquet of Champions to mark the 74th birth anniversary of Flash Elorde who reigned as world junior lightweight champion for almost seven-and-a-half years and was at that time the world’s longest reigning champion (1960-67).
Despite not being able to get a title defense for almost one year Donaire who won the IBF/IBO titles with a stunning “Knockout of the Year” over Australia’s Vic Darchinyan on July 7, 2007 retained his IBF flyweight title with a sixth round technical knockout of Moruti Mtahalane of South Africa in his only fight last year.
The long layoff didn’t appear to bother Donaire too much as he showed his class in eventually stopping the game mandatory challenger at the Mandalay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada to boost his record to 20-1-with 13 knockouts. Donaire defends his title against undefeated Raul “Cobra” Martinez at the Araneta Coliseum on April 19 in a fight card titled “The Flash and The Furious.”
Veteran 36 year old Penalosa, the former WBC super flyweight champion who won the WBO bantamweight crown with a vicious one-punch knockout of Jhonny Gonzales retained his title with an eighth-round stoppage of former world champion Ratanachai Sor Vorapin of Thailand on April 6 last year at the Araneta Coliseum. He finished the year with a ring record of 53-6-with 36 knockouts. Penalosa moves up in weight to challenge undefeated WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez of Puerto Rico in Lopez’ hometown on April 25.
Nietes, the talented 28 year old WBO minimum weight champion was also inactive for 11 months before he finally successfully defended his title against Nicaraguan Eddy Castro with a second round TKO on Aug. 30, 2008. Nietes defended his title for the second time last Feb. 28 with a unanimous decision over Mexican Erick Ramirez after dropping the challenger in rounds 1, 5, 9 and 12.The impressive win improved his record to 23-3 with 13 knockouts.
The Elorde Annual Awards, now on its ninth year, honors world, international and national champions of the past year as well as the best boxing promoter, manager, trainer, best fight and individuals and institutions that helped promote Philippine professional boxing..
The annual awards, the most prestigious in Philippine boxing, is held by the Elorde clan, led by the late Elorde’s wife Laura, and Elorde Sports Foundation and sponsored by the Johnny Elorde International Management, Inc., Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and Manila Hotel.
