Talking about the greatest Filipino boxer ever? There’s one name should come in your mine and that’s the current best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, Manny ‘Pac-man’ Paquiao. Pacman is title-holder of eight weight division classes, a congressman from Saranggani Province, Philippines, and a world-wide boxing icon. But there are other great Filipino boxers too, like the up and coming rated no. 4 in yahoo.com’s pound-for-pound ranking Nonito Donaire. There is Rey “Boom Boom “Bautista, Brian Viloria, Bernabe Concepcion, etc. And here they are the 10 greatest Filipino boxer of all time according to my own opinion.
10.) Small Montana
Benjamin Gan he is also known as Small Montana.
He was born on February 24, 1913 in Negros Occidental, Philippines. A son of a Chief Police there and they have a Chinese descent. He has a total of 118 fightsincluding 83 wins, 24 losses, 10 draws and 18 wins by knockout. Evident by his fighting record, Montana is not a hard puncher but with his quick punches he’s able to win bouts. He’s not a tall fighter though, standing just 5 feet and 4 inches (163 cm).
He won the American Flyweight title on 1935 by beating American Midget Wolgast twice. In his title defense, Benny Lynch beat him by a 15 round bout in London on 1937. He never won a world championship after that.
He also fought some other noticeable fighters like Little Dado, Little Pancho, Manuel Ortiz, Tonny Marino, Augie Curtis, Pat Palmer, Frankie Jarr, and Antol Kocsis.
He died on August 4, 1976.
9.) Little Dado
Eleuterio Zapanta he is also known as Lettle Dado.
He was born on January 1, 1916. He has a total of 65 fights including 48 wins, 7 losses, 9 draws and 19 wins by knockout. He is one of the top fighters in flyweight and bantamweight divisions on 1930s and 1940s. He holds the World Flyweight title on 1940 and the World Bantamweight title on 1941.
He died on July 7, 1965.
8.) Gerry “Fearless” Peňalosa
Geronimo Peňalosa, also known as Gerry Peňalosa was born on August 7, 1972 in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental Philippines.
Some Filipino boxing Analyst considers him as the best technical boxer that ever came from the Philippines. He’s a very good defensive fighter and a very good counter puncher.
In his entire career he has never been knockdown by his opponents. He has a total of 65 fights including 55 wins, 8 losses, 2 draws, and 37 wins by knockout. In his last fight he TKO Yodsaenkeng Kietmangmee in the 4th round.
7.) Ceferino “Bolo Punch” Garcia
He is considered as the inventor of Bolo Punch. He is the only Filipino boxer that becomes World Middle Weight Champion. He has the most victories ever achieved by a Filipino Boxer that stands 142 total bouts including 102 wins, 28 losses, 12 draws, and 67 wins by knockout.
He defended his title tree times before losing to Ken Overlin by points.
He died on January 1, 1981.
6.) Nonito “Filipino Flash” Donaire
Nonito Donaire Jr. was born on November 16, 1982 in Talibon, Bohol, Philippines.
He fought 28 fights including 27 wins and a single loss with 18 coming by knockout victory. He attained his only loss to Rosendo Sanchez in his second professional fight on March 10, 2001.
5.) Lusito “Golden Boy” Espinosa
Luisito Pio Espinosa was born on June 26, 1967 in Manila. He won two World Titles, the WBA Bantamweight in 1989, and the WBC Featherweight in 1995 by beating Khaokor Galaxy and Manuel Medina respectively. Standing at 5 foot 7 inches (1.71 cm) Espinosa has 60 total fights including 47 wins, 13 losses and 26 wins by knockout. He retired on 2005.
4.) Ben Villaflor
Benjamin Villaflor was born November 10, 1952 in Negros Occidental, Philippines.
He won the WBA world junior lightweight on April 25, 1972, by beating champion Alfredo Marcano of Venezuela in a 15 round unanimous decision in Honolulu Hawaii but on March 12, 1973, he lost his title to Kuniaki Shibata of Japan over fifteen rounds in Honolulu. But after two more wins he regained the title by a rematch with Shibata, also in Honolulu, on October 17, stopping Shibata in the first round. In his last fight he’s been beaten in their rematch by Samuel Serrano on November 16 in San Juan Puerto Rico. He has a total 69 fights, 54 wins, 8 losses, 7 draws, and 31 wins by knockout.
He now lives in Hawaii.
3.) Gabriel “Flash” Elorde
Flash Elorde was born on March 25, 1935 in Bogo, Cebu Philippines.
Elorde holds the record as the longest reigning World Junior Lightweight Champion. He won the title in March 16, 1960 by stopping the champion then Harold Gomez in the 7th round of their bout. In 1963, he was inaugurated as WBC and WBA champion.
He stands 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm) with a record of 117 total fights, 88 wins, 27 losses, 2 draws and 33 wins by knockout as of May 2, 2011.
He is inducted into International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1993, the first Asian that made it. He is also inducted into World Boxing Hall of Fame. Rated 78th as the best fighter by the Ring Magazine’s”Ring Magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years” in 2002 and considered as the best super featherweight fighter of all time by WBC.
2.) Pancho Villa
Francisco Guilledo was born on August 1, 1901 and died on July 14, 1925 because of a tooth extraction infection.He is commonly known as Pancho Villa.
He won the American Flyweight Champion by beating American flyweight champion Johnny Buff on September 15, 1922. But he lost it by a widely criticize decision loss to Genaro, a year later. Then villa fought Jimmy Wilde for the vacant World Flyweight Champion on June 18, 1923, at the Polo Grounds in New York, he finished Wilde with a 7th round knockout. His last fight is against Jimmy McLarnin on July 4, 1925, at Ewing Field in Oakland. Fighting with a swollen mouth because of newly extracted tooth, he fought with his one hand covering his face because of pain. With that state he loss to McLarnin. Two days after the McLarnin fight, Villa had three more teeth extracted after an infection was discovered. On July 13, 1925, he had rushed to the hospital. Then they discovered that the infection had spread to Villa's throat that results to Ludwig's angina. Villa was hurried to have a surgery, but he fall into a coma while the surgery is undergoing. He died on the following day, July 14, 1925. He died 17 days before turning 24. At 5 feet 1 inch (154 cm) he has a total of 104 fights with 92 victories, 8 losses, 4 draws and 24 wins by knockout. He is inducted to Ring Magazine Hall of Fame on October 1961 and to International Boxing Hall of Fame on 1994 and rated 59th as the best fighter by the Ring Magazine’s”Ring Magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years” in 2002
1.) "Manny “Pac-man” Pacquiao
Even though Pac-Man is on his peak of his career at the age 32 standing 5 feet 6 and a half inches, I consider him as the best Filipino Boxer of all time, and he will be one of the greatest boxers of all time when he retired. Maybe in top 3, top 5 or top 10. No doubt. Want some proof?
As of may 2, 2011 Pac-man has a record of 57 total fights, including 52 wins, 3 losses, 2 draws and 38 wins by knockout.
Soccer is not very popular sports in the Philippines because the country is dominated by basketball, and also there is no open area that you can build a soccer field. The Philippine National Football Team has gained some success in the years of Far Eastern Championship Games between the years 1913 to 1934. In September 2006 the team suffered its lowest ranking ever, they fell to 195th in the FIFA World Rankings but now the team is currently rank 155th.
Soccer is not very popular sports in the Philippines because the country is dominated by basketball, and also there is no open area that you can build a soccer field. The Philippine National Football Team has gained some success in the years of Far Eastern Championship Games between the years 1913 to 1934. In September 2006 the team suffered its lowest ranking ever, they fell to 195th in the FIFA World Rankings but now the team is currently rank 155th.
