by
Jack Fiske and Hermie Rivera
Philippine Daily Inquirer
March 20, 1994
THEY were called “little brown dolls,” but how they could fight!
Twenty-two world champions enshrined in the record books since the early ’20s attest to the ability, speed, courage and flash of Filipino fighters, who campaigned mainly in the lower weight classes.
If there was a boxing resurgence in the Islands today plus another steady stream of small ringmen to the States the problems of American matchmakers and promoters would diminish.
Filipino fans still heatedly debate the relative merits of Pancho Villa, Ceferino Garcia, Flash Elorde and Ben Villaflor, who twice held the junior lightweight championship, as to who was the best to come out of the Philippines.
But, there are plenty more names to go around.
The old timers swear by Villa, the first-ever Filipino to win a world title, by a shocking knockout -no less- of incomparable flyweight champion Jimmy Wilde of England, the Mighty Atom, in Madison Square Garden in 1923.
Necessary credentials
Garcia, who held the middleweight crown in a career that spanned 1927-1944; Elorde, a junior-lightweight champion and twice an unsuccessful challenger for the lightweight title; and more recently Villaflor, have the necessary credentials and adherents who loudly clarion their merits to be number one.
It all began with Frank Churchill, an American who migrated to Manila after World War 1 and struck it rich. What Churchill discovered was not gold but “little brown dolls,” Filipino fighters who were the Islands’ greatest sports heroes.
Churchill, a US Customs House clerk turned pugilistic entrepreneur, exported the virtually unknown, untapped vein of talent to, first, Honolulu and then the United States and American fans eagerly paid to enjoy their quick moves, ringmanship and courage.
If there was one minus factor in the imported performers it was a lack of punch, but it mattered not to the rabid fans who appreciated their boxing skills, speed and grit.
Knowledgeable
The Filipino fight fan is knowledgeable, behaves ideally, understands what he sees and at the same time will not hesitate to slow clap or boo a renowned fighter’s poor performance and demand he not be permitted to appear again.
California – particularly the San Francisco Bay Area – became the land of opportunity for the (mostly) flyweights and bantamweights.
San Jose, Stockton, Bakersfield, Watsonville, Oakland, Sacramento, San Francisco and Modesto became second homes for the itinerant warriors, who fought as often as once a week, usually against Mexicans, another group of impoverished immigrants.
Opportunistic promoters were eager to utilize the little men who attracted big crowds of Filipino farm laborers from the California Valley and Delta towns. Saturday night concluded a week of labor in the fields and what better recreation and release than to swarm to the local arena to cheer on a fellow countryman.
World began to hear
Soon championship opportunities followed for the most adept. The world began to hear about Villa, Small Montana, Little Dado, Pete Sarmiento, Clever Sencio, Elino Flores, Little Pancho, Dencio and Speed Cabanela and Ceferino Garcia, among others. Later, Leo Espinosa and Flashy Sebastian came into prominence.
The ill-fated Villa (Francisco Guilledo) called the second best fly-weight of all time (after Wilde) by Ring Magazine authority Nat Fleischer, died in San Francisco in 1925 from an ulcerated tooth 10 days after losing a non-title match in Oakland to Jimmy McLarnin. He had 105 registered bouts and a record of 88-9-5 and only 22 knockouts with three no-contests. His knockout of Wilde put the Philippines on the boxing map.
Elorde, the hero of the modern day Filipino fan, came to San Francisco in 1956 after decisioning world featherweight champion Sandy Saddler in a non-title 10 in Marila. They were rematched in the San Francisco Cow Palace for the title and after Elorde had piled up an early lead he became the target of Saddler’s elbows and ugly tactics on a damaged eye and finally was a TKO victim in the late rounds.
Elorde’s reign
He went on to capture the world 130-pound title, was twice repulsed by Carlos Ortiz for the world lightweight crown on 14th-round stoppages. Gabriel Elorde, who died in 1985 in Manila, fought 11 times in Northern California and three times in New York City, finished with a record of 88-25-2 with 34 knockouts from 1951 through 1971.
He won the 140-pound title from Harold Gomes in Quezon City by seventh round KO and repeated with a first round KO in San Francisco in the rematch in 1960 and successfully defended 10 times.
A “big man” by Filipino standards, was 160-pounder Garcia (95-26-9 with 65 KO’s) who won his title from Fred Apostoli in New York in 1939. During a career that spanned 1927-1944. Ceferino — noted for his so-called bolo punch later adopted by Cuban Kid Gavilan — defended his title successfully against Henry Armstrong in Los Angeles in 1940 with a highly disputed draw that prevented Armstrong from becoming the holder of four world titles. Garcia died in San Diego in 1981 at age 75.
Ben Villaflor (35-4-6, 20 KO’s) decisioned Alfred Marcano in 1972 and after losing the title to Kuniaki Shibata regained it seven months later and overall successfully defended it six times.
Small Montana (Benjamin Gan) from Negros, campaigned from 1931 to 1941, moved permanently to Northern California and became a merchant seaman after retiring from the ring. In 1935 Montana beat Midget Wolgast for the New York version of the world flyweight title and lost it to Benny Lynch in London two years later. His 111 total bouts include 79 wins, 22 losses and 10 draws with 10 knockouts.
Little Dado (Eleuterio Zapanta) fought 36 times in Northern California in an 11-year career, beating Small Montana in 1938 for the California-recognized world flyweight title and finished with a 51-7-11, 2 no contest record, including 20 knockouts.
Recent champions
The most recent champions from the Philippines have been Morris East (15-3-0, 10 KO’s) junior-welterweight, who at the age of 20 was the youngest Filipino to win a world championship; and Manny Melchor, light-flyweight. East, son of a US Navy serviceman and a Filipino mother, knocked out Akinobu Hiranaka in the 11th round in Tokyo in 1992, but lost to Juan Coggi in Argentina in his first defense, January 1993.
Luisito Espinosa surprisingly knocked out Kaokor Galaxy of Thailand in one round in 1989 in Bangkok to win the WBA 118-pound title and had two successful defenses before losing the title to Israel Contreras of Venezuela in 1992.
Other world champions from the Islands include Roberto Cruz. Pedro Adigue, Rene Barrientos, Bernabe Villacampo, Erbito Salavarria, Villaflor, Rolando Navarette, Frank Cedeñe, Dodie Peñalosa, Eric Chavez, Tacy Macalos, Bobby Berna, Rolando Pascua and Rolando Bohol.
Title challengers, but not champions, include Dommy Ursua, Johnny Sato, Fel Clemente, Socrates Batoto, Danny Kid, Arnel Arrozal, Pretty Boy Lucas, Fernando Lumacad, Johnny Jamito, Tirso del Rosario, Aniceto Vargas and Rod Sequenian.
Filipino fighters can fight!
Don’t be misled by the ’20s description of “little brown dolls.”
Greatest boxing spectacle
With such a rich boxing heritage, it is surprising that the amateur program in the Philippines has not kept pace with the professionals. One silver (featherweight Anthony Villanueva in Tokyo in 1964) and two bronze are the only Olympic medal winners from the Philippines. Dado Marino and Jesus Salud, who won world titles as residents of Honolulu, were born in the Philippines but migrated at an early age.
Give the Filipino fan a fight worthy of attendance and he will show up despite his lack of allegiance to either boxer. The greatest boxing spectacle ever in the Philippines was the 1975 “Thrilla in Manila,” between two Americans, heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali and challenger Joe Frazier. Araneta Coliseum, designed for 20,000 spectators, was filled to overflowing with 10,000 more standees.
The Authors
Hermie Rivera, a radio announcer and television sports commentator in Manila, managed world champions Luisito Espinosa and Morris East.
Jack Fiske was the boxing columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle for 40 years.
