Some Trivia on the Philippines

[brucelee]

Here's some boxing trivia. These are all Filipino boxers who have become boxing champions:

Pancho Villa
Pancho Villa, who has been touted as the greatest flyweight of the century by the Associated Press, was also the first world champion from Asia. He was one of only four Asians enshrined into the New York-based International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1994. He was also inducted to the World Boxing Hall of Fame.

Born as Francisco Guilledo in Ilog, Negros Occidental on August 1, 1901, he began his boxing career in 1919 and adopted the name Pancho Villa after a famous Mexican revolutionary leader.

After his successful bids in the Philippines, he went to New York in pursuit of international bouts. Known for his whirlwind style, Villa, then 22, knocked out reigning world flyweight champion Jimmy Wilde of England in the seventh round at New York's Polo Grounds on June 18, 1923.

Among the opponents that he trounced were Benny Schwartz, Georgie Marks, Frankie Ash and Clever Sencio.

During his entire boxing career, Villa engaged in 99 bouts - 22 knockouts, 49 wins by decision, 5 losses, 4 draws and 19 no-decision bouts.

Gabriel "Flash" Elorde
In 1974, the World Boxing Council named Gabriel "Flash Elorde" as "the greatest world junior lightweight boxing champion in WBC history" for winning 79 bouts in his professional boxing career. In 1993, he became the first Asian inducted into the New York-based International Boxing Hall of Fame. He was also enshrined into the World Boxing Hall of Fame.

Elorde became a world champion in the 130-pound division on March 16, 1960 when he knocked out American Harold Gomes at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City. Since then, he has defended his title in 10 bouts for seven years, making him the longest reigning world junior lightweight champion ever. He finally lost to Japanese Yoshiaki Numata in a 15-round match in Tokyo on June 15, 1967.

Elorde was born in Bogo, Cebu in 1935 and died in 1985.