HISTORY
ORIGINS OF BOXING IN THE ORIENT
While various forms of martial arts are synonymous with the Orient, dating back
to and before the 8th Century and the first shogun wars, western-style boxing
did not take root there until shortly before the turn of the 20th Century.
That came as a consequence of the Spanish-American War of 1898. Conquered, Spain
ceded the Philippines to the United States of America, ending Spanish
colonisation of the islands and heralding in an era of American domination that
would last until the Republic of the Philippines came into existence on July 4,
1946.
It was the U.S. influence that gave birth to the sport, initially in Manila, and
for some time the Philippines tended to dominate the zone from that head start,
with the country’s best boxers tending to travel to the United States, often by
way of Honolulu, where there was a big Filipino community, to further their
careers.
Some outstanding individuals did much to pioneer boxing in its early history in
the Orient.
One was Yujiro Watanabe, of Japan, a boxer-turned-promoter who laid important
groundwork in developing the sport in Japan and bridging language and cultural
barriers with neighboring countries. Watanabe boxed successfully in America in
the years after 1910 and returned to Tokyo in 1921 to form the Japan Club, a
basis for the boom in Japanese boxing that was to come in the post-war years.
The first international contest in Japan was at Tokyo’s Kudan Arena in 1924,
when Teiko Ogino boxed a 10-round draw with Young Gonzalo, of the Philippines,
proving a Japan-Philippines match would draw in Japan and that men from the
Philippines were not invincible.
Born in Hawaii in November 1908 of Japanese parents, “Sad” Sam Ichinose’s career
began in 1920, initially as a trainer, and in the post-war years he was to
achieve enormous benefits for Orient boxing as a promoter, manager, agent and
developer of raw talent.
No-one was better known in the Orient boxing circles than Lope “Papa” Sarreal,
of the Philippines, who was active until shortly before his death at the age of
93.
Like Sad Sam, Papa began in boxing in 1920. He had a promotional and managerial
involvement in almost every boxing country of the world. Papa promoted more than
70 world title bouts and was a giant in supporting boxing not only in his native
Philippines but throughout Asia and the Orient, both when boxing was in its
infancy and, later, in the rewarding years. A few of the many world champions
with whom Papa was associated over the decades were Gabriel “Flash” Elorde, of
the Philippines, Yoshio Shirai, of Japan and Saensak Muangsurin, of Thailand.
While there certainly was boxing in the Orient between the birth of the new
century and World War II, and success in that period, it was in the post-war era
that the real strength began to emerge.
The Japanese Boxing Association was re-formed in 1946, to be followed in 1952 by
the Japan Boxing Commission, operating then and now at Tokyo’s Korakuen Stadium,
under the inaugural presidency of Soei Tanabe. An organisation was formed in the
Philippines, largely through the work of Leon Castillo and Augustin Pineda, and
in other parts of the Orient and Asia supervisory bodies were formed as the
world attempted to return to normal after the war.
By the early 1950s the Orient and Asia were ready to form a zone boxing body and
stand beside other respected regional organisations.
Although so-called Orient title bouts had been fought in days as early as the
second decade of the 20th Century, they were courtesy titles because no
organisation existed to sanction and supervise them.
The original edition of the World Boxing Council history book 20 Years records
the first Orient title bout in the post-war-era as being in Tokyo in 1952, when
10,000 spectators saw Gabriel “Flash” Elorde outpoint Hiroshi Horiguchi to win
the lightweight title. In November the same year Larry Bataan, of the
Philippines, beat Japan’s Akiyoshi Akazawa to take the featherweight
championship.
But no supervising authority existed formally until October 27, 1954, when the
Oriental Boxing Federation (OBF) was proclaimed in Tokyo at a meeting attended
by representatives of Japan (Yachiyo Manabe), the Philippines (Alfredo Guidote)
and Thailand (Phorn Panitchpakdi). First president of the OBF was Manuel Nieto,
of the Philippines, a fitting appointment since it was Manila that the OBF story
began.
From this historic meeting grew plans for a carnival of champions to be held in
Manila the following year, on December 3 and 7, 1955, to decide the first
official Orient titleholders. They were: Danny Kid, Philippines, flyweight;
Keeichi Momoro, Japan, bantamweight; Shigeji Kaneko, Japan, featherweight; Leo
Alonzo, Philippines, lightweight; and Hachiro Tasumi, Japan, middleweight.
The first convention of the OBF was in Tokyo in November 1957, attended by
representatives of Thailand, Japan, the Philippines and a new member, Korea,
which had formed a national federation the year before and was keen to take its
place in the federation.
More countries joined as of the OBF grew in strength and influence in the late
Fifties and 1960s. A major development came in 1977 when Australia joined and
the name was changed to Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) to include
the South Pacific region. Since then, numbers of participating countries and
states have grown to 16 – Australia, Fiji, Guam, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Indonesia,
Japan, Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, the Philippines, PAMA (Professional
Association of Martial Arts, representing boxers from several Asian republics of
the former USSR), Republic of China, the Samoas, Thailand and Tonga.
Francisco Guilledo holds a special place in the history of the Orient as the
first man from our zone to win a world title.
If the name Guilledo means little it is because this history-maker, born in
Iloila in the Philippines on August 1, 1901, fought under the name of Pancho
Villa, taking his ring name from the Mexican Revolutionary.
Reflecting the influence America had on boxing in the zone, Villa learned his
craft in the gymnasium of U.S. military bases in Manila. A “fighting” fighter,
he boxed 50 times in the 29-month period from January 1921 to June 1923, when he
won the world flyweight title. Villa’s first steps of major significance were
victories over “Terrible” Pondong on February 21, 1921, and George Mendies on
December 8 of the same year in fights billed as being for the Orient flyweight
and bantamweight titles.
He moved to the United States the following year and was popular with American
fight fans, who appreciated his aggressive style and knockout power in each
hand.
Villa won the American flyweight title on September 14, 1922, in New York,
stopping Johnny Buff in 11 rounds, but held the crown only briefly, losing it on
points over 15 rounds on March 1, 1923, to Frankie Genaro, who had been the 1920
flyweight champion. Despite the setback against Genaro, who was later to win the
world title, Villa’s whirlwind style impressed Tex Rickard. When that legendary
American promoter was looking for a challenger to fight world flyweight king
Jimmy Wilde at New York’s Polo Grounds on June 18, 1923, he was sure Villa was
the man.
When ring historians look back on the flyweight division, some regard Welshman
Jimmy Wilde as the best-ever champion. He won the title on December 16, 1916,
knocking out Young Zulu Kid, of America, and reigned until his meeting with
Villa. But Wilde, whose best days were behind him, was no match for the young,
powerful, hard-punching Villa, who dominated the fight before knocking out Wilde
in the seventh round.
Villa fought 25 times in the 25 months between his triumph over Wilde and his
last fight, on July 4, 1925, a title defence against Jimmy McLarnin, in the
interim repulsing title challenges from Benny Schwartz and Frankie Ash, winning
both on points over 15 rounds.
Pancho Villa was a sick man – worse – as he trained for the McLarnin fight.
Poison from broken and septic teeth was claiming his life. He had a wisdom tooth
removed the day before the fight, which he lost badly on points, had more teeth
taken out the next day and died nine days later on the operating table as
surgeons tried to cope with an abscess on his jaw.
Next Filipino to achieve the ultimate was Cafernio Garcia, who beat Fred
Apostoli in seven rounds in 1939 to take the world middleweight title. In a
116-bout career, Garcia, managed by George Parnassus, met the best of an
outstanding group of middleweights from that era.
Of all the Philippine heroes to win world titles over the years – among them
Pedro Adigue, Rene Barrientos, Roberto Cruz, Ben Villaflor, Bernabe Villacampo,
Rolando Navarette, Frank Cedano, Luisito Espinosa and Manny Pacquaio – none was
as highly acclaimed, in his homeland or abroad, as the late Gabriel “Flash”
Elorde.
Elorde started boxing in the early 1950s, won the Orient lightweight
championship and on March 16, 1960, claimed the world junior-lightweight title
on a seventh round knockout of Harold Gomez. He made 10 successful world title
defences between 1960 and 1967 before losing his crown on points to Japan’s
Yoshiaki Numata. In between defences of the world title, Elorde continued to
protect his Orient laurel. In February 1964 he figured in one of boxing’s
classic bouts, stepping out of his true division to make a gallant but
unsuccessful bid for world lightweight title held by Carlos Ortiz, losing on a
14th-round stoppage.
The name Gabriel Elorde appears a number of times in the WBC’s Hall of Fame
records, saying much for his achievements in boxing. He was No.1
junior-lightweight in the WBC Top 10 of All Time list (ahead of Alexis Arguello);
he shared with Alfredo Escalera , of Puerto Rico, the record for most successful
defenses of the world junior-lightweight title; and his classic battle with
Ortiz for the lightweight championship is recorded in the WBC annuals as 1964’s
Fight of the Year.
Something of a late starter in the OBF family, because of the 1950-53 Korean
War, Korea quickly made up for lost time and has carved an enviable reputation.
There have been many outstanding Korean world champions – among them Ki-Soo Kim,
Soo-Hwan Hong, Jae-Do Yuh, Dong-Kyun Yum, Sung-Yun Kim, Sang-Hyun Kim, Chan-Kee
Park, Tae-Shik Kim, Chul-Ho Kim and Hwan-Jim Kim. The finest, certainly, was
Jung-Koo Chang, the WBC flyweight titleholder. He took the crown on March 26,
1983, on a third round knockout of Hilario Zapata. On June 28, 1987, he stopped
Augustin Garcia in 10 rounds to record his 13th successful WBC title defence,
breaking the record previously held by Luis Estaba, of Venezuela. Chang retired
as undefeated champion and later made a comeback, not totally successful.
Japan’s first world champion and the beginning of a long line of titleholders
from the land of the Rising Sun, was Yoshio Shirai, who won the flyweight title
on May 19, 1952.
Shirai was born in Tokyo. His career was complicated by World War II and he won
the world championship at an age when many boxers are, if not retired, then
seriously thinking about it – 29. Shirai had mixed fortunes early in his career
but continued to improve his skills. He won the flyweight and bantamweight
championships of Japan in 1949, was undefeated the following year and in 1951
lost and regained the domestic flyweight title.
The same year Shirai lost on points over 10 rounds in a non-title bout in Tokyo
with the world champion, Dada Marino, one of many great boxers to be steered to
the heights by Sam Ichinose.
The Marino fight was an important advance for Shirai. Although losing, it was no
disgrace and Shirai’s performance was considered good enough to earn another
non-title bout, in Honolulu in December 1951. It turned out to be a stunning
upset, with Marino succumbing in round seven after being knocked down six times.
That triumph earned Shirai a title fight with Marino on May 19, 1952, at Tokyo’s
Korakuen Stadium, and he won comfortably on points to write himself into the
record books.
There were four successful defenses - against Marino in November 1952, Tanny
Campo in May 1953, Britain’s Terry Allen later that same year and Leo Espinosa
in May 1954 – before, in November 1954, Shirai, at 32 lost the title on points
to Pascal Perez.
Shirai’s contribution was more than winning a world title. He inspired his
countrymen by proving a Japanese boxer could be the best.
In the relatively short era of the post-war years, many great Japanese boxers
were to follow Shirai to world titles.
One of the most popular of all was the warrior Fighting Harada, two-time world
champion as a flyweight and bantamweight and a challenger for the featherweight
crown. The great Jiro Watanabe, long-reigning king of the super-flyweight
division, was another outstanding titleholder. Other boxers from Japan to take
world titles included Hiroyuki Ebihara, Takeshii Fuji, Yoshiaki Numata, Hiroshi
Kobayashi, Shozo Saijo, Masao Ohba, Kuniaki Shibato, Koiochi Wajima, Guts
Ishimatsu, Shoji Oguma, Sansumu Hanagata, Royal Kobayashi, Yoko Gushiken,
Musashi Kudo, Shiego Nakajima, Yastusene Uehara, Katsuo Tokashiki, Tadashi
Tomori, Tsuyoshi Hamada, Joichiro Tatsuyoshi and Masamori Tokuyama.
First Thailander to acquire a world title was the graceful Pone Kingpetch, who
was to win and lose the flyweight championship three times in a memorable
career.
Kingpetch (real name Nana Seadoaghob) was born in the Northern Thailand seaport
province of Hui Hui. He dabbled in Muy Thai kick-boxing as a teenager before
turning to Queensberry rules, picking up his early pointers from a how-to-box
book written by an American at the behest of the Thai Government.
At 5 feet 6 in, unusually tall for a flyweight, he was a stylist who relied on
his height and reach advantages and preferred skilled boxing at range to rugged
infighting. He was, nonetheless, a good puncher who one not a few bouts inside
the distance.
He captured the Thailand flyweight title on November 6, 1956, beating Kunio
Vitichai on points, and in January the following year won a 12-round decision
over Danny Kid to claim the Orient flyweight title. He lost an Orient title
fight with Leo Espinosa in July 1957 but showed better form in September that
year by out pointing Hitoshi Misako to regain the Orient championship.
Kingpetch in early 1959 broke his jaw in a serious car accident and was
sidelined for a year. It was in this period that he came under the patronage of
a wealthy and influential Thai, Thong Thos Indradat, who owned a pharmaceutical
company in Bangkok. Indradat took Kingpetch under his wing, gave him employment
with his company and laid the groundwork for a world title challenge when - and
if - Kingpetch resumed his career.
In his comeback fight on January 31, 1960, Kingpetch had a fourth-round knockout
of Baby Ross. At that point Indradat opened negotiations with the world
flyweight champion, Pascal Perez, of Argentina, an outstanding titleholder who
had taken the championship from Yoshio Shirai in November 1954 and defended 10
times.
The Perez-Kingpetch bout, in Bangkok on April 16, 1960, was a classic case of
the puncher meeting the boxer, and the Thailander won a split decision and the
title after 15 enthralling rounds. The closeness of that fight warranted a
return and in September 1960 Kingpetch travelled to Los Angeles, for the first
time leaving the shores of Thailand, to give Perez the chance he had given him
five months earlier. This time, Kingpetch was the clear master, dominating the
fight and knocking out Perez in eight rounds, proving he was not only a worthy
champion but also one who could win away from home and without the cheers of
partisan fans whose support was a powerful spur.
He defended twice in Japan, in 1961 and 1962, out pointing Mitsunori Seki and
Kyo Noguchi, before a third visit to Tokyo, on October 10 1962, to lose the
title on an 11th round knockout at the hands of the man who is, perhaps, Japan’s
most loved sporting son, Fighting Harada.
To fulfill a return clause in the 1962 Tokyo contract, Harada flew to Bangkok to
defend on January 12, 1963, against Kingpetch , a defence considered something
of a formality because Harada was strongly favoured to win. But the Kingpetch
story was not yet over. In the return, Kingpetch’s skills were honed to their
finest and he outpointed the bull Harada to win back his title, the first man to
regain the flyweight championship.
In September 1963 Kingpetch travelled once more, to Japan to risk his crown
against the rugged southpaw Hiroyuki Ebihara, who took it on a sensational
first-round knockout. Even the most dedicated Kingpetch supporters doubted their
fighter could win the return with Ebihara. But again Kingpetch triumphed,
outpointing Ebihara on January 23, 1964, to win the flyweight championship for a
third time and set a record which might never be broken.
In April 1965 in Rome, Italy, Pone Kingpetch lost the title on points to
Salvatore Burruni and had two more fights, both in Bangkok, both KO wins, before
announcing his retirement in May 1966. He died in Bangkok in 1982 of pneumonia.
Since Kingpetch, other Thais have brought honour to themselves and their country
by winning world titles, among them NetrnoiVorasing, Chartchai Chinoi, Bergerk
Chartvanchai, Venice Borkorsor, Saensak Muangsurin, Payao Poontarat, Sot
Chitilada, Samart Payakaroon, Pongsaklek Won Jongkam and Veeraphol Nakhonluang. |
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