Boxing
From golden boy to pioneer, Philippines delivers best Olympic performance in Paris
Published
5 months agoon
2+0+2 = 4 for the 2024 Olympic Games.
These numbers will forever be etched in the history of Philippine sports.
In the 100th anniversary of the Games, the Philippines made significant progress, winning two gold and two bronze medals to finish 37th in the final table – a historic achievement for the country.
This achievement not only matched the best medal haul at an Olympic Games, but also marked the first time that the Philippines had won more than one gold medal.
After these historic achievements, it is appropriate to look at the extraordinary achievements of recent Filipino Olympic medalists.
Golden boy Carlos Yulo
The man of the moment, the talk of the town.
Carlos Yulo won not just one, but two gold medals, cementing his place as one of the greatest Filipino athletes to ever represent the country.
After a breakthrough gold medal in the freestyle at the 2019 World Championships, Yulo was hyped to be a sure-fire medal contender at the Tokyo Olympics, but he ultimately fell compact after struggling in his first appearance.
Then 21-year-old Yulo only managed to qualify for the men’s vault final in artistic gymnastics, where he finished fourth. That defeat only fueled his determination to try harder, which began a relentless pursuit in the years that followed.
From 2021 to 2023, Yulo won various events, such as vault, parallel bars, and freestyle, at the World Championships, securing his place among the best gymnasts in the world.
Each victory brought him closer to his ultimate goal: the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.
Yulo’s quest for redemption began strongly in the qualifying round, when he made it to three finals in the all-around, freestyle, and vault. Although he failed to medal in the all-around final—finishing 12th in the 24-man competition—it was only the beginning of something special for Yulo.
In the freestyle and vault, Yulo raised the difficulty level of his routines to 6,000 and performed them perfectly, winning two gold medals. These spectacular performances not only wowed the judges but also charmed the hearts of the Filipinos.
He is now the first male athlete to win a gold medal for the Philippines, and the only athlete from his country to win more than one gold medal – and at a single Games.
The good news? Yulo still has a lot to offer and will certainly look for greater success in Los Angeles in 2028.
Nesthy is nasty in the ring
With a silver medal already in Tokyo, Petecio’s next mission was to finally win the coveted gold medal. She was certainly up to the task.
Petecio breezed through the early qualifying matches with only Amine Zidane coming away with a single judge’s win in their round of 16 bout. Those victories quickly dispelled any doubts that age might be a factor and that her taller opponents might pose a problem with longer reach.
Let’s be sincere, Petecio wasn’t just 157 cm towering and had that kind of attitude.
Her dominance ended in the semi-final, where she defeated the Polish Julia Szeremeta. She had to settle for the bronze medal, and the decision was made only in the last round.
Regardless of the outcome, Petecio should be commended for the resilience and skill she showed throughout the competition. Of course, it wasn’t her goal, but Petecio still showed the heart of a champion.
It’s a shame Petecio didn’t manage to put the icing on the cake of her impressive boxing CV, which includes numerous medals won at the AIBA World Championships.
But there is no shame in becoming the first Filipino boxer to win a silver medal and joining Hidilyn Diaz as the only Filipino athletes to win more than one medal at separate Games.
Much like he celebrates after a victory, Petecio remains -mazing (“eyy” pronounced like the letter A).
Villegas, Filipino Boxing Pioneer
Ahead of the Paris Olympics, all eyes in boxing were on previous medalists trying to repeat or better their performance in Tokyo.
The previously mentioned Petecio won another medal, Carlo Paalam reached the quarter-finals, and Eumir Marcial was eliminated in his first fight.
Aira Villegas, a budding Olympian, rose through the ranks to give the Philippines an additional bronze medal.
Villegas immediately became one of the standout figures of the Games, putting in consistent performances en route to reaching the final eight in the women’s 50kg.
Her quarterfinal opponent, hosts France’s Wassila Lkhadiri, posed a huge challenge for her and seemed likely to be an insurmountable obstacle to Villegas’ medal bid.
Despite competing with the crowd favorite, the 29-year-old Filipina showed incredible composure and perseverance. She won a split decision and made history by winning an Olympic medal.
Winning the bronze medal was a significant achievement not only for Villegas but also for Philippine boxing.
It signaled the arrival of a modern generation of talent ready to continue the legacy of the sport in the country. For a first-time Olympian, winning a medal in such a competitive field was an extraordinary achievement and brought immense pride to the nation.
With adolescent talents like Villegas, the Philippines’ presence in the boxing world looks set to remain mighty for years to come.
Not only has she proven that she is not simple, but she has the potential to become the patron saint of women’s boxing in the country in the coming years.
You may like
Boxing
Ryan Rozicki is waiting for Badou Jack’s consent to mandatory cooperation with the WBC
Published
2 days agoon
January 13, 2025The World Boxing Council (WBC) ordered world cruiserweight champion Badou “The Ripper” Jack (20-1-1, 19 KO) to make a mandatory title defense against Ryan “The Bruiser” Rozicki (20-1), number 1 in the WBC ranking – 1, 19 KOs).
If both camps fail to successfully negotiate an agreement, the WBC will organize a tender on February 4, followed by the Jack vs. Rozicki. Rozicki’s promoter, Three Lions Promotions, immediately sent Team Jacek an offer to promote the fight in Canada last week.
“We are waiting for their counteroffer,” explained promoter Dan Otter of Three Lions Promotions. “Boxing has had a huge resurgence in Canada and Ryan is leading the way. He is one of the most electrifying and hardest-hitting fighters in boxing, definitely in the cruiserweight division. He wants the WBC green belt and ultimately the unification of the division. Ryan will fight Jack anywhere for the belt.”
29-year-old Rozicki, born in Sydney (Nova Scotia) and living in Hamilton (Ontario), fought 22 professional fights against 21 different opponents (twice against Yamil Alberto Peralta), stopping 19 of the 20 opponents he defeated. an eye-opening 95-KO percentage.
Jack, 41, was a 2008 Olympian representing his native Sweden. He is a three-division world champion, as well as the WBC super middleweight and World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight heavyweight title holder. Jack has a record of 5-0-2 (2 KO) in world championship fights.
“We respect Jack and I don’t want to sound disrespectful,” Otter added, “but he’s over 40 years vintage and has been relatively inactive for two years (only one fight). He brings a lot of experience and respect to the ring, but he will fight a newborn defender with a lot of power. Jack is going to struggle and honestly, I don’t think he’ll make it past the first few rounds.”
Ryan Rozicki is on a mission to become the first Canadian cruiserweight world champion.
The next move is Badou Jack’s.
Boxing
Floyd Mayweather’s record is not normal, it can’t happen in 70 years
Published
3 days agoon
January 12, 2025Floyd Mayweather’s incredible 50-0 record is not normal and cannot be repeated in sports for another seventy years.
This is the view of Saudi Arabian president Turki Alalshikh, who wants to adopt the UFC model in which fighters lose many fights during their career.
In a speech as he hosted the Ring Magazine Awards after acquiring the long-running boxing publication from Oscar De La Hoya, Alalshikh was unequivocal in his opinion.
“Now losing some fights in boxing must be normal,” he explained. “All fighters want a career similar to Floyd Mayweather – no losses. This may happen once every 50, 60 or 70 years.
“We need it [to be] like currently in the UFC model, where champions lose and win,” added the matchmaker during the Riyad season.
Mayweather rose through the sport in the tardy 1990s to become one of its youngest superstars. Mayweather’s professional success came after winning a bronze medal at the Olympics after losing to Serafim Todorov.
Winning world titles in five weight classes, Mayweather was untouchable. The Grand Rapids native only came close to defeat a few times. He dominated Manny Pacquiao and overtook Canelo Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya after heated debates, with decisions that should have been made unanimously.
Towards the end of his career, Mayweather chose to face Andre Berto and Conor McGregor, easily winning and ending his boxing career at the age of 50 without ever going out. Calling himself “the greatest of all time,” Mayweather earned first-ballot Hall of Fame honors and is widely considered one of, if not the greatest defensive fighter of all time.
However, Alalshikh says this type of career needs to end so that fans can get the most out of boxing, as is the case with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Boxing needs to become more attractive, and Alalshikh sees the failures of top stars as a way to keep interest at an all-time high.
In this sport, many boxers enjoy undefeated streaks, the most notable of which is Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian Pound for Pound King is 23-0 and has beaten the best he has to offer in his division and cruiserweight classification.
It remains a mystery how Alalshikh plans to make Usyk suffer while he dominates everyone else. By the time his grand plan goes into action, Usyk will be long gone, and Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney may be more realistic targets.
Boxing
Manny Pacquiao remains the favorite to win the title against Mario Barrios
Published
1 week agoon
January 6, 2025WBN understands that despite alternative options emerging, it is more likely that Manny Pacquiao will face Mario Barrios next.
Bob Santos, coach of WBC welterweight champion Barrios, told World Boxing News that he is currently in contact with Pacquiao’s team. Asked by WBN if he had spoken to Pacquiao or representatives of any other challenger, Santos replied: “Yes, Pacquiao’s promoter, Sean Gibbons.” Pressed on whether Barrios vs Pacquiao might happen next, he added: “It’s challenging to say. We’ll have to see how this plays out.”
WBN contacted Santos after Conor Benn emerged as a potential alternative to Barrios. The British fighter, who recently returned from a suspension following two positive drug tests, is keen to return to competition.
Benn showed favor with the World Boxing Council at the recent WBC Convention, the WBC Evaluation Committee and during an interview with the sanctioning body over the weekend. “The Destroyer” is ranked second in the rankings at 147 pounds, despite less than solid opponents during his time in exile, during which Benn competed twice in the United States while his career in the United Kingdom was in doubt.
As he battled to clear his name and with the British Anti-Doping Authority finding no evidence that Benn had intentionally taken ostarine, the 28-year-old’s career took a pointed nosedive. Despite this, he remains highly rated and at least one step away from fighting for an eliminator or one of the remaining championship titles.
However, Pacquiao remains Barrios’ favorite. Now it’s up to the boxing legend and Hall of Famer who got the first votes to secure his shot. WBN believes a July date – most likely at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas – is the most realistic date for a Nevada swan song.
Pacquiao could extend his record as the oldest welterweight champion by six years if he can secure a huge victory over the 29-year-old world champion. At 46 years antique, such a scenario remains unlikely, but he can never be compared to one of the greatest players of this generation.
Unlike heavier boxers and his training regiment, Pacquiao looks in great shape despite his advanced age. Everything is set for a massive return to the boxing capital of the world, provided Pacquiao and his team can manage his political ambitions, which are expected to run from this month until May. After that time, Pacquiao could find himself in the summer finals and become the all-time champion, regardless of the result.
Barrios is based in the city, where he trained with Santos, and would be the perfect opponent to see out the career of one of the greatest fighters in history.
Tommy Fury admits to alcohol problems as he talks about Molly-Mae Hague’s split
Ben Whittaker is open to the idea of facing Chris Eubank Jr
‘CLARESSA SHIELDS MOVIE ‘A LOAD OF C***!’ – Savannah Marshall DEMANDS REMATCH
Trending
-
MMA8 months ago
Max Holloway is on a mission at UFC 212
-
Interviews3 months ago
Carl Froch predicts that Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol
-
MMA8 months ago
Cris Cyborg ready to add a UFC title to her collection
-
MMA8 months ago
The Irish showed up in droves at the Mayweather-McGregor weigh-in
-
Interviews3 months ago
Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol
-
Boxing6 months ago
Lucas Bahdi ready to test his skills against Ashton Sylve
-
Interviews8 months ago
I fell in love with boxing again
-
Opinions & Features3 months ago
Dmitry Bivol: The story so far