The history of boxing in the Philippines is the

history of boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing punches at each other for a pred ...

and the evolution and progress of the sport in the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

. In the Philippines,

boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...

is one of its most popular sports, together with

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

, due to the many accolades it has brought to the country, having produced 46 major world champions (including those of Filipino heritage), one of the most in the world. Despite not having won a gold medal in boxing, the Philippines has had multiple Olympic standouts, with 10 out of its 18 total Olympic medals coming from boxing, along with some of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport. Filipino greats like

Pancho Villa Francisco "Pancho" Villa ( , , ; born José Doroteo Arango Arámbula; 5 June 1878 – 20 July 1923) was a Mexican revolutionary and prominent figure in the Mexican Revolution. He was a key figure in the revolutionary movement that forced ...

and

Flash Elorde Gabriel "Flash" Elorde (March 25, 1935 – January 2, 1985) was a Filipino professional boxer. He won the lineal super featherweight title in 1960. In 1963, he won the inaugural WBC and WBA super featherweight titles. He holds the record at sup ...

are members of the two highly respected boxing hall of fames –

International Boxing Hall of Fame The International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF), located in Canastota, New York, right next to exit 34 of the New York State Thruway, honors boxers, trainers and other contributors to the sport worldwide. Inductees are selected on ballots cre ...

(IBHOF) and World Boxing Hall of Fame (WBHF) thus, giving the Philippines the most number of Boxing Hall of Famers outside the United States.

Golden ages of Philippine boxing

Local folk narrative says that before the

Spaniards Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance-speaking ethnic group native to the Iberian Peninsula, primarily associated with the modern nation-state of Spain. Genetically and ethnolinguistically, Spaniards belong to the broader Southern a ...

and Americans came to the Philippines, Filipinos had their own kind of boxing known as ''

suntukan Suntukan is the fist-related striking component of Filipino martial arts. In the central Philippine island region of Visayas, it is known as Pangamot or Pakamot and Sumbagay. It is also known as Mano-mano and often referred to in Western mart ...

'',"bare-hand fighting" in Tagalog, (and similarly in other Philippine languages with the same meaning) generally believed to have evolved from a Filipino knife fighting technique called "

kali Kali (; , ), also called Kalika, is a major goddess in Hinduism, primarily associated with time, death and destruction. Kali is also connected with transcendental knowledge and is the first of the ten Mahavidyas, a group of goddesses who p ...

". During the Spanish colonization

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...

and fight sports were banned, so it was driven underground where the lack of knives and rattan sticks lead to fist fighting. Despite this claim, centuries old documents still need to be uncovered and translated for verification on whether or not the Philippine natives had a codified system of unarmed combat before boxing since there are no surviving reports and records of any kind of unarmed fighting in Luzon and Visayas practicing a system of empty-hand combat, apart only from local wrestling, as fighting only becomes a

martial art Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the pres ...

if trainings are systematic and orderly, thus, "codified".

First golden age of Philippine boxing

The evolution of Philippine boxing began after when Spain ceded its colonial territories, namely

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...

, and the Philippines to the United States as agreed in the Treaty of Paris on 1898 which led to the

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...

on 1899. Some reports state U.S. soldiers brought modern boxing to the Philippines, evidenced by a pair boxing gloves made by Sol Levinson of San Francisco. Another story tells of a renegade soldier brought some boxing gloves to Filipino prisoners and taught them how to use them. However, it was generally believed that three Americans were responsible for the evolution of boxing in the country namely:

Frank Churchill Frank Edwin Churchill (October 20, 1901 – May 14, 1942) was an American film composer and songwriter. He wrote most of the music for films produced by Walt Disney, such as ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'', '' Dumbo'', ''Bambi'', '' The Ad ...

and the Tait brothers (Eddie and Stewart) Eddie and Stewart Tait, also dubbed as "Barnums of Borneo", were amusement park entrepreneurs who established carnivals and horse racing tracks in Manila, who arrived in the country in 1902. Eddie, believed to be a boxing enthusiast, wanted to attract crowds by teaching Filipino locals some western boxing lessons for free to create American-style Filipino boxers. Ceferino Garcia 1942

In 1921, boxing was legalized in the Philippines and began to flourish. Frank Churchill joined by the Tait brothers, established the Olympic Boxing Club in Manila. During this time, the country saw the first batch of great Filipino fighters such as Dencio Cabanela,

Speedy Dado Diosdado Posadas (December 25, 1906 – July 2, 1990), better known as Speedy Dado, was a Filipino boxer who contended for the world flyweight, bantamweight, and featherweight championships. His managers included Frank Churchill, and Jesus Cortez ...

, the Flores brothers (Francisco, Elino, Macario and Ireneo), Pete Sarmiento, Sylvino Jamito, Macario Villon and the legendary Pancho Villa. The first golden age of Philippine boxing emerge as

won the universal world

flyweight Flyweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing up to and including 51 kg (112 lb) for a title fight. Professional boxing The flyweight division was the last of boxin ...

championship from Welshman

Jimmy Wilde William James Wilde (12 May 1892 – 10 March 1969) was a Welsh professional boxer who competed from 1911 to 1923. He simultaneously held the National Sporting Clubs British flyweight title and the World Flyweight championship from 1916 to 1923. ...

to become the first ever Asian and Filipino world champion. Villa defended his title three times including a fight in the Philippines with fellow Filipino Clever Sencio where he won by fifteen-round decision, which at the time, nobody thought it would be the last victory of his young career. The glorious era was short-lived following the ring deaths of popular fighters Dencio Cabanela and Clever Sencio along with the death of Pancho Villa from

Ludwig's angina Ludwig's angina () is a type of severe cellulitis involving the floor of the mouth and is often caused by bacterial sources. Early in the infection, the floor of the mouth raises due to swelling, leading to difficulty swallowing saliva. As a resu ...

and their influential promoter Frank Churchill. There was also the Filipino-Spanish boxer, Luis Logan, who at one time or another held the title Oriental

welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term ''welterweight'' was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...

and

heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Male boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation an ...

champion. Logan's boxing career spanned 1925–1940; and spent half his boxing career in Spain,

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

, outside of the Philippines. On October 2, 1939, a sudden uplift came when

Ceferino Garcia Ceferino Montano Garcia (August 26, 1906 – January 1, 1981) was a champion boxer born in Naval, Biliran, Philippines. He holds the most victories ever achieved by a Filipino boxer and is also the only boxer from the Philippines to become worl ...

won the

NYSAC The New York State Athletic Commission or NYSAC, also known as the New York Athletic Commission, is a division of the New York State Department of State which regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of New York, ...

world

middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have beg ...

championship from American

Fred Apostoli Alfredo "Fred" Apostoli (February 2, 1913 – November 29, 1973) was a rugged, accomplished body punching middleweight, who was recognized as the world champion when he defeated Marcel Thil on September 23, 1937. Statistical boxing website Box ...

at the

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, United States. On December 23, 1939, Garcia successfully defended his title for the first time against American Glen Lee in front of his countrymen inside the

Rizal Memorial Sports Complex The Rizal Memorial Sports Complex (RMSC; formerly known as Rizal Memorial Field) is a national sports complex of the Philippines, located on Pablo Ocampo St. (formerly Vito Cruz St.), Malate, Manila. It is named in honor of the country's national ...

which was the first world title bout ever recorded in the Philippine islands. Garcia also competed with some of the best boxers ever like

Barney Ross Barney Ross (born Dov-Ber "Beryl" David Rosofsky; December 23, 1909 – January 17, 1967) was an American professional boxer. Ross became a world champion in three weight divisions and was a decorated veteran of World War II. In his time, he ...

and

Henry Armstrong Henry Jackson Jr. (December 12, 1912 – October 22, 1988) was an American professional boxer and a world boxing champion who fought under the name Henry Armstrong. He is the only fighter to ever hold world championships in three divisions (fea ...

, to whom he denied his fourth title in four weight divisions through a draw. However, he then lost at the hands of

Ken Overlin Ken Overlin (August 15, 1910 – July 24, 1969), was an American-born middleweight boxer who fought professionally from 1931 to 1944, compiling a record of 131 wins (23 by knockout), 18 losses, and 9 draws. He took the World middleweight champi ...

, unable to land his famous

bolo punch A bolo punch is a punch used in martial arts. The bolo punch is not among the traditional boxing punches (jab, uppercut, Hook (boxing), hook and Cross (boxing), cross). ''Bolo knife, Bolo'' is a Filipino single-edged knife similar to the machete ...

and losing the title.

Second golden age of Philippine boxing

On July 20, 1955, Filipino boxing fans saw the birth of Philippine boxing's second golden era as a Cebuano boxer named Gabriel "Flash" Elorde beat the then reigning world

featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, ...

champion and later Hall of Famer

Sandy Saddler Joseph "Sandy" Saddler (June 23, 1926 – September 18, 2001) was an American professional boxer. He was a two-time featherweight world champion, having also held the super featherweight title. Over his twelve-year career (1944–56), Saddler s ...

in a non-title bout at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex. Elorde went on to win the world

super featherweight Super featherweight, also known as junior lightweight, is a weight division in professional boxing, contested between and . The super featherweight division was established by the New York Walker Law in 1920, although first founded by the New ...

championship from

Harold Gomes Harold Gomes (born August 22, 1933) is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1951 and 1963. The highlight of Gomes's career came in 1959 when he won the world super featherweight title against Paul Jorgensen. Professional ...

by a seventh-round knockout on March 16, 1960. Elorde kept his world title inside a division record of 7 years and 2 months with 10 successful defenses, including a one-round knockout of Gomes in a rematch. Flash Elorde, during his time, was one of the busiest fighters who traveled to fight very often. A great and fearless fighter, Elorde was one of the most beloved Filipino athletes since Pancho Villa. In this Elorde inspired period, twenty world champions were created spanning from Roberto Cruz to

Gerry Peñalosa Geronimo "Gerry" J. Peñalosa (born August 7, 1972) is a Filipino former professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 2010. He is a two-weight world champion, having held the WBC super-flyweight title from 1997 to 1998, and the WBO bantamweight ...

along with the formation of the "Big Four of Professional Boxing" or the major sanctioning bodies, namely the WBA, WBC, IBF, and

WBO The World Boxing Organization (WBO) is an organization which sanctions professional boxing bouts. It is recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) as one of the four major world championship groups, alongside the World Boxin ...

. However, as time goes by, boxing was becoming less popular in the country because of many alternative sports including basketball until

Manny Pacquiao Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao Sr. ( ; ; born December17, 1978) is a Filipino politician, businessman, and professional boxer. Nicknamed "PacMan", he is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional boxers of all time. He previously serv ...

came.

Third golden age of Philippine boxing (present)

A Filipino boxer named Manny Pacquiao was an entertaining star in the local boxing television show called "Blow-by-Blow" by the famed Filipino manager and promoter Rod Nazario. Viewers became accustomed to Pacquiao's name not only because of his aggressive style but also due to his unique looks and catchy surname. Pacquiao's ascendancy heralded a new wave of Filipino boxers and marks the third great era of Philippine boxing. On December 4, 1998, Pacquiao upset Thai Champion

Chatchai Sasakul Chatchai Sasakul (; ; born February 5, 1970) is a Thai former Muay Thai fighter and professional boxer who competed in boxing between 1991 and 2008. He held the WBC flyweight title from May 1997 to December 1998. Aside from being a professional ...

in Thailand to win the Lineal and WBC flyweight championship (his first world title). On his title defense, Pacquiao lost his title on the scale and was knocked out in the fight by

Medgoen Singsurat Boonsai Sangsurat ( Thai: เม็ดเงิน 3เคแบตเตอรี่; born 12 June 1978), better known as Medgoen Singsurat, is a Thai former professional boxer. Sangsurat has assumed various ring names, including Big Daddy Med ...

of Thailand. Pacquiao lost his WBC title on the scales as he was unable to make the flyweight limit. Pacquiao gained weight and skipped the

super flyweight Super flyweight, also referred to as junior bantamweight, is a weight class in professional boxing, contested from and up to . History The first title match in this division was in 1980, when the World Boxing Council responded to pressure from A ...

and

bantamweight Bantamweight is a weight class in combat sports and weightlifting. For boxing, the range is above and up to . In kickboxing, a bantamweight fighter generally weighs between . In mixed martial arts, MMA, bantamweight is . The name for the class ...

divisions to fight at

super bantamweight Super bantamweight, also known as junior featherweight, is a boxing weight classes, weight class in professional boxing, contested from and up to . There were attempts by boxing promoters in the 1920s to establish this weight class, but few sanct ...

division. Pacquiao, for the second time in his career, was the heavy underdog against South African

Lehlohonolo Ledwaba Lehlohonolo Benedict Ledwaba (27 July 1971 – 2 July 2021) was a South African professional boxer who competed from 1990 to 2006, and held the IBF super bantamweight title from 1999 to 2001. Ledwaba died from COVID-19 on 2 July 2021, at age 4 ...

, the reigning IBF super bantamweight champion. On June 23, 2001, Pacquiao dethroned Ledwaba to win his second world title in two different weight divisions. In 2003, Pacquiao's career rose to its peak as he stopped the then reigning Lineal and ''The Ring''

champion

Marco Antonio Barrera Marco Antonio Barrera Tapia (born January 17, 1974) is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 2011. He held multiple triple champion, world championships in three weight classes between 1995 and 2007, from super bantamwei ...

of Mexico via 11th-round technical knockout. Since that time, Pacquiao has acquired three lineal titles and four major (WBC & IBF) world titles along six different divisions—flyweight (112 lbs.), super bantamweight (122 lbs.), featherweight (126 lbs.),

(130 lbs.),

lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing (sport), rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) boxing weight classes, weight class in the spor ...

(135 lbs.) and

light welterweight Light welterweight, also known as junior welterweight or super lightweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional boxing In professional boxing, light welterweight is contested between the lightweight and welterweight divisions, ...

(140 lbs.). NonitoDonaire

On November 14, 2009, Pacquiao surpassed

Oscar De La Hoya Oscar De La Hoya ( , ; born February 4, 1973) is an American Promoter (entertainment), boxing promoter and former professional boxing, professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2008. His accolades include winning 11 list of boxing sextuple ch ...

's record of six-division titles by stopping WBO

champion Miguel Angel Cotto to win his seventh title across seven divisions. One year later, he made history by being the first boxer ever to win eight world titles in eight weight divisions as he dominated Mexican slugger

Antonio Margarito Antonio Margarito Montiel (born March 18, 1978) is a Mexican-American former professional boxer and cheater who competed between 1994 and 2017. He held multiple welterweight world championships, including the WBO title from 2002 to 2007, the ...

to win the vacant WBC

light middleweight Light middleweight, also known as junior middleweight or super welterweight,PeBoxRec/ref> is a weight class in boxing but also may include other combat sports. Boxing The light middleweight division (also known as junior middleweight in the Intern ...

title in a catchweight bout. Since 2003, Pacquiao amassed a record of 21 wins, 3 defeats and 1 draw in his last 25 fights. The Filipino fighter defeated some of the best opposition available on the way to superstardom (earning the nickname "the Mexicutioner") including Mexicans

Erik Morales Erik Isaac Morales Elvira (born September 1, 1976) is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2012. He is the first Mexico-born boxer in history to quadruple champion, win world championships in four weight classes, rangin ...

Juan Manuel Márquez Juan Manuel Márquez Méndez (born August 23, 1973) is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2014. He held multiple quadruple champion#Boxing, world championships in four weight classes, from featherweight to light welte ...

and

, British

Ricky Hatton Richard John Hatton (born 6 October 1978) is a British former professional boxer who competed between 1997 and 2012, and has since worked as a boxing promoter and boxing trainer, trainer. During his boxing career he held multiple world champi ...

, Puerto Rican

Miguel Cotto Miguel Ángel Cotto Vázquez (born October 29, 1980) is a Puerto Rican former professional boxer who competed from 2001 to 2017. He is a multiple-time world champion, and the first Puerto Rican boxer to win quadruple champion, world titles in fo ...

, and Americans Oscar De La Hoya,

Shane Mosley Shane Mosley (born September 7, 1971), often known by his nickname "Sugar" Shane Mosley, is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2016. He held multiple triple champion, world championships in three weight classes, incl ...

Timothy Bradley Timothy Ray Bradley Jr. (born August 29, 1983) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 2004 to 2016. He held multiple world championships in two weight classes, including the World Boxing Council (WBC) light welterweight titl ...

and

Keith Thurman Keith Fitzgerald Thurman (born November 23, 1988) is an American professional boxer. He is a former unified welterweight world champion, having held the World Boxing Association, WBA title from 2016 to 2019 (promoted to WBA (Super), Super champio ...

. The "Pacquiao Wave" regenerated boxing in the Philippines, inspiring a new generation of boxers to aim ever higher.

Nonito Donaire Nonito Gonzales Donaire Jr. ( ; ; born November 16, 1982) is a Filipino American professional boxer. He has held multiple world championships in four weight classes, from flyweight to featherweight, and is the oldest boxer in history to win a ...

, one of the Pacquiao-wave fighters, became the second Asian to win four world titles in four weight divisions by defeating South African

Simpiwe Vetyeka Simpiwe Vetyeka (born 24 December 1980) is a South African professional boxer. He is a former WBA (Undisputed) and IBO featherweight champion, as well as a former IBO super bantamweight champion. Vetyeka's career came to an end after he broke ...

to claim the WBA featherweight title on May 31, 2014. In 2017,

Donnie Nietes Donnie Liboon Nietes (born May 12, 1982) is a Filipino professional boxer who has won world titles in four weight-classes, having previously held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) mini-flyweight title from 2007 to 2011; the WBO and ''The Ri ...

became the third Filipino boxer to win world titles in three different weight divisions when he defeated Thailand's Komgrich Nantapech in May 2017. In Dec. 31 2018,

became the third Filipino boxer and third Asian to win world titles in Four different weight divisions when he defeated Japanese

Kazuto Ioka is a Japanese professional boxer who held the unified WBA and WBC mini-flyweight titles between 2011 and 2012, the WBA (Regular) light-flyweight title from 2012 to 2014, the WBA flyweight title from 2016 to 2017, having previously held the WB ...

via split decision on New Year's Eve, winning the vacant World Boxing Organization belt at the Wynn Palace in Macau. Another famous or rather infamous Filipino boxer

John Riel Casimero John Riel Reponte Casimero (born February 13, 1989) is a Filipino professional boxer and YouTuber. He has held world championships in three weight classes including the International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-flyweight title from 2012 to ...

became the fourth Filipino boxer to win world titles in three different weight divisions when he defeated

Zolani Tete Zolani Tete (born 8 March 1988) is a South African professional boxer. He is a former two-weight world champion, having held the IBF junior-bantamweight title from 2014 to 2015 and the WBO bantamweight title from 2017 to 2019. Early life and ...

via TKO on November 30, 2019 in England. His boxing persona pave the way to building-up his fights, this makes him a rarity in amongst Filipino boxing fans in present times.

Philippines' contribution to boxing

The Philippines is one of the founding member nations of the

World Boxing Council The World Boxing Council (WBC) is an international professional boxing organization. It is among the four major organizations which sanction professional boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation ...

(WBC) and

Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation The Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) is a professional boxing organization that sanctions title fights in the Asian and Pacific region. History Oriental boxing started in the Philippines in 1946 after the Spanish-American War. While ...

(OPBF). Filipino boxers also contributed to the history of boxing from rules and techniques to records and achievements.

is not only the first Asian and Filipino world champion but is also described as one of the cleanest boxers before the proper rules were established.

is credited as the inventor of the "

". However, according to ''Tahoma News-Tribune'', a fellow Filipino boxer named Macario Flores was reportedly using it. Gabriel "Flash" Elorde still holds the record for longest reign in the super featherweight or junior lightweight (130 lbs.) division – 7 years, 2 months and 29 days with 10 title defenses. His success was due to his innovative footwork and maneuvers which he learned from training

Balintawak Eskrima Balintawak Eskrima or Balintawak Arnis is a Filipino martial art created by Grandmaster Venancio "Anciong" Bacon in the 1950s to enhance and preserve the combative nature of arnis which he felt was being watered down by other styles of Philipp ...

with his father "Tatang" Elorde who was the Eskrima champion of

Cebu Cebu ( ; ), officially the Province of Cebu (; ), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 surrounding islands and islets. The coastal zone of Cebu is identified as a ...

. Elorde's style from eskrima has been adopted by many boxers, including his friend

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...

, which influenced the out-boxer style of boxing. While

holds as the longest Filipino world champion in the light flyweight division. On November 13, 2010, Manny Pacquiao entered the

Guinness Book of World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...

for being the first ever boxer to win eight world titles in eight (8) different divisions (see also

Octuple Champion An octuple champion is a boxer who has won major world titles in eight Weight class (boxing), weight classes. To date, the only octuple champion is Manny Pacquiao, who has won twelve major world titles. Pacquiao achieved the feat when he defeated ...

) by defeating Mexican

via 12-round unanimous decision to claim the vacant WBC

championship.

Philippines' popular ring officials

The Philippines has produced respected ring officials. Referee Carlos "Sonny" Padilla officiated the famous "

Thrilla in Manila Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier III, billed as the ''Thrilla in Manila'', was the third and final professional boxing match between undisputed champion Muhammad Ali, and former champion Joe Frazier, for the heavyweight championship of the world. ...

" match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in 1975. He worked as third man in the ring in many big matches for over 25 years. In 2012, the

awarded

Rey Danseco Rey Danseco is a Filipino sports editor, journalist, television boxing commentator/host and international boxing judge. He received the Judge of the Year award in 2012 from the World Boxing Council. He was awarded the Harry Gibbs golden plate ...

the Judge of the Year. He received the accolade in a rite held during the 50th Annual WBC Convention at the Grand Oasis Hotel in Cancún, Mexico. To date, Danseco is the only Asian boxing ring official to win an award of such magnitude. He is also a multiple Judge of the Year awardee in the Philippines until he moved to the US in 2012. Danseco judged the world championship fights of some big names in boxing of his generation, such as

Canelo Alvarez __NOTOC__ Canelo may refer to: Geography * Canelo, Arizona, a ghost town ** Canelo Ranger Station ** Canelo School * Canelo Hills in Arizona ** Canelo Hills Cienega Reserve, a protected area People * Canelo Álvarez (born 1990; birth name Santos ...

, Errol Spence Jr., Danny García,

Robert Guerrero Robert Joseph Guerrero (born March 27, 1983) is an American professional boxer. He has held world championships in two weight classes, including the IBF featherweight title twice between 2006 and 2008, and the IBF junior lightweight title from 2 ...

Julio César Chávez Julio César Chávez González (; born July 12, 1962), also known as Julio César Chávez Sr., is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1980 to 2005. A multiple-time world champion in three weight divisions, Chávez was liste ...

Bernard Hopkins Bernard Hopkins Jr. (born January 15, 1965) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2016. He is one of the most successful boxers of the past three decades, having held multiple world championships in two weight class ...

Austin Trout Austin Dwayne Trout (born September 18, 1985) is an American professional boxer and bare-knuckle boxer. In boxing he held the World Boxing Association (WBA) light middleweight title ( Regular version) from 2011 to 2013. He extended his champions ...

Gerry Penalosa Gerry is both a surname and a masculine or feminine given name. As a given name, it is often a short form (hypocorism) of Gerard, Gerald or Geraldine. Notable people with the name include: Surname *Elbridge Gerry (1744–1814), fifth US vice pres ...

, Pongsaklek Wonjongkam,

Badou Jack Badou Jack (born 31 October 1983) is a Swedish professional boxer. He has held world titles in three weight classes, including the WBC super-middleweight title from 2015 to 2017, the WBA (Regular) light-heavyweight title in 2017, and the WBC ...

Jorge Arce Jorge Armando Arce Armenta (; born July 27, 1979), best known as Jorge Arce, is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1996 to 2014. He is a multiple-time world champion, and the second boxer from Mexico to win world titles in ...

Jhonny González Jhonny González Vera (born September 15, 1981) is a Mexican professional boxer.. Retrieved 26 September 2016. He is a two-time former world champion in two weight classes, having held the WBO bantamweight title from 2005 to 2007, and the WB ...

Adonis Stevenson Stevenson Adonis (born 22 September 1977), best known as Adonis Stevenson, is a Haitian Canadian former professional boxer who competed from 2006 to 2018. He won the WBC, '' Ring'' magazine and lineal light heavyweight titles in 2013 by defeat ...

Tony Bellew Anthony Lewis Bellew (born 30 November 1982) is an English former professional boxer who competed from 2007 to 2018, and has since worked as a boxing analyst and commentator. He held the WBC cruiserweight title from 2016 to 2017. At regional l ...

Josh Taylor Josh or Joshua Taylor may refer to: * Josh Taylor (actor) (born 1943), American comedy and dramatic television actor * Josh Taylor (baseball) (born 1993), American professional baseball pitcher * Josh Taylor (boxer) (born 1991), Scottish professi ...

Toshiaki Nishioka is a Japanese former professional boxer who competed from 1994 to 2012. He held the WBC super-bantamweight title from 2008 to 2012, and challenged for the WBO and ''The Ring'' super-bantamweight titles in his final-fight. Nishioka is known for ...

Shawn Porter Shawn Christian Porter (born October 27, 1987) is an American sports commentator and former professional boxer who competed from 2008 to 2021. He was a two-time welterweight world champion, having held the IBF title from 2013 to 2014 and the WB ...

, Edgar Sosa,

Miguel Berchelt Miguel Ángel Berchelt Cervera (born 17 November 1991) is a Mexican professional boxer who held the WBC super featherweight title from 2017 to 2021. Amateur career Berchelt tried out at the age of 16 for the football club he supported as a ch ...

Leo Santa Cruz Leo is the Latin word for lion. It most often refers to: * Leo (constellation), a constellation of stars in the night sky * Leo (astrology), an astrological sign of the zodiac * Leo (given name), a given name in several languages, usually mas ...

Abner Mares Abner Mares Martínez (born November 28, 1985) is a Mexican-American professional boxer who also works as a boxing analyst and commentator for Showtime. He has held multiple world championships in three weight classes, including the IBF bant ...

, Amir Khan,

Daniel Dubois Daniel Dubois (born 6 September 1997) is a British professional boxer. He has held the International Boxing Federation (IBF) heavyweight title since 2024. Previously, he held the World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight title ( Regular ver ...

Jamel Herring Jamel William Herring (born October 30, 1985) is an American professional boxer who held the WBO junior lightweight title from 2019 to 2021. Early life Herring was born in Rockville Centre, New York, to Michael Mitchell and Jeanine Herring. Hi ...

Jessica McCaskill Jessica McCaskill (born September 8, 1984) is an American former professional boxer. She is a former world champion in two weight classes, having held the undisputed, IBO and ''Ring'' female welterweight titles; the WBC female super-lightweigh ...

Regis Prograis Regis Prograis ( ; born January 24, 1989) is an American professional boxer. He held the World Boxing Association (WBA) super lightweight title in 2019, and the World Boxing Council (WBC) super lightweight title from 2022 to 2023. Prograis chos ...

, and

Khalid Yafai Khalid "Kal" Yafai (; born 11 June 1989) is a British former professional boxer who held the WBA super-flyweight title from 2016 to 2020. As an amateur, he represented Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics and won a silver medal at the 20 ...

. Padilla refereed or judged the fights of notable world champions, including

Joe Frazier Joseph William Frazier (January 12, 1944November 7, 2011) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1965 to 1981. Nicknamed "Smokin' Joe", he is widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. He was known for ...

Alexis Argüello Alexis Argüello (April 19, 1952 – July 1, 2009) was a Nicaraguan professional boxer who competed from 1968 to 1995, and later became a politician. He was a three-weight world champion, having held the WBA featherweight title from 1974 to 19 ...

Erbito Salavarria Erbito Salavarria (born January 20, 1946) is a retired professional boxer from the Philippines and a former WBC, WBA and Lineal Flyweight Champion. Biography Salavarria made his professional debut in 1963. He captured the WBC and lineal f ...

Leon Spinks Leon Spinks (July 11, 1953 – February 5, 2021) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 1995. In only his eighth professional fight, he won the undisputed heavyweight championship in 1978 after defeating Muhammad Ali in a s ...

Ken Norton Kenneth Howard Norton Sr. (August 9, 1943 – September 18, 2013) was an American actor and professional boxer who competed from 1967 to 1981. He was awarded the World Boxing Council, WBC world heavyweight championship in 1978, after winning a ...

Larry Holmes Larry Holmes (born November 3, 1949) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1973 to 2002 and was world heavyweight champion from 1978 until 1985. He is often considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. ...

Sugar Ray Leonard Ray Charles Leonard (born May 17, 1956), best known as Sugar Ray Leonard, is an American former professional boxer. Often regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, he competed professionally between 1977 and 1997, winning quintuple c ...

Lupe Pintor José Guadalupe Pintor Guzmán (born April 13, 1955), better known as Lupe Pintor, is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1974 to 1995. He is a world champion in two weight classes, having held the WBC bantamweight title fro ...

Roberto Durán Roberto Carlos Durán Samaniego (born June 16, 1951) is a Panamanian former professional boxer who competed from 1968 to 2001. He held quadruple champion, world championships in four weight classes: Lightweight, welterweight, light middleweigh ...

Marvin Hagler Marvelous Marvin Hagler (born Marvin Nathaniel Hagler; May 23, 1954 – March 13, 2021) was an American professional boxer. He competed in boxing from 1973 to 1987 and reigned as the undisputed champion of the middleweight division from 1980 t ...

Bobby Chacon Bobby Chacon (November 28, 1951 – September 7, 2016) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1972 to 1988. He held titles in two weight classes, including the World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight title from 1974 to 1975 and the ...

, Pipino Cuevas,

Michael Spinks Michael Spinks (born July 22, 1956) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 1988. He held world championships in two weight classes, including the undisputed light heavyweight title from 1983 to 1985, and the lineal ...

Mike Tyson Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1985 and 2024. Nicknamed "Iron Mike" and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "the Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson i ...

Michael Moorer Michael Lee Moorer (born November 12, 1967) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2008. He won a world championship on four occasions in two weight classes, having held the WBO light heavyweight title from 1988 t ...

George Foreman George Edward Foreman (January 10, 1949 – March 21, 2025) was an American professional boxer, businessman, minister, and author. In boxing, he competed between 1967 and 1997, and was nicknamed "Big George". He was a two-time world heavyweig ...

Azumah Nelson Azumah Nelson (born 19 July 1958, affectionately known as the Professor) is a Ghanaian former professional boxer who competed from 1979 to 2008. He was a two-weight world champion, having held the WBC featherweight title from 1984 to 1987 and ...

Riddick Bowe Riddick Lamont Bowe (born August 10, 1967) is an American former professional boxer and professional kickboxer who competed between 1989 and 2008 in boxing, and from 2013 to 2016 in kickboxing (Muay Thai). He held the undisputed world heavyweig ...

Terry Norris Terry Norris may refer to: * Terry Norris (boxer) Terry Wayne Norris (born June 17, 1967) is an American former boxer, prizefighter and a three time world champion in the light-middleweight (super-welterweight) division. Originally from Lubbock ...

Ray Mercer Raymond Anthony Mercer (born April 4, 1961) is a former American professional boxer, kickboxer, and mixed martial artist who competed from 1989 to 2009. Mercer won a heavyweight gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics as an amateur, and later ...

Iran Barkley Iran Barkley (; born May 6, 1960) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1982 to 1999. He held triple champion, world championships in three weight classes, including the World Boxing Council, WBC middleweight title from 1988 ...

, Humberto González,

Roger Mayweather Roger L. Mayweather (April 24, 1961 – March 17, 2020) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1981 to 1999 and later on a boxing trainer. He was a two-division world champion, having held the WBA and ''The Ring'' super featherwe ...

Kennedy McKinney Kennedy McKinney (born January 10, 1966) is an American former professional boxer, who won the bantamweight gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics. As a professional, he won the IBF and WBO super bantamweight titles. Military service McKinne ...

Johnny Tapia John Lee Anthony Tapia (February 13, 1967 – May 27, 2012) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2011. He held multiple world championships in three weight classes, including the unified IBF and WBO super flyweight title ...

Antonio Tarver Antonio Deon Tarver (born November 21, 1968) is an American former professional boxer and boxing commentator. In boxing he competed from 1997 to 2015, and held multiple light heavyweight world championships, including the WBA (Unified), WBC, ...

, and Filipino greats

Dodie Boy Peñalosa Diosdado "Dodie Boy" Peñalosa (born November 19, 1962) is a Filipino former professional boxer who competed from 1982 to 1995. He is a weight class (boxing), world champion in two weight classes, having held the International Boxing Federation ...

, Ben Villaflor, and Rolando Navarette in his career from 1967 until his retirement in year 2000.

List of men's professional boxing world champions

The following is a list of Filipino boxing champions who have held titles from one or more of the "Big Four" organizations (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO) and ''The Ring''. In December 2000, the WBA created an unprecedented situation of having a split championship in the same weight class by introducing a new title called ''Super world'', commonly referred to simply as ''Super''. The ''Super'' champion is highly regarded as the WBA's primary champion, while the ''World'' champion – commonly known as the ''Regular'' champion by boxing publications – is only considered the primary champion by the other three major sanctioning bodies ( WBC, IBF, and

) if the ''Super'' title is vacant. A ''Unified'' champion is a boxer that holds the ''Regular'' title and a world title from another major sanctioning body (WBC, IBF, WBO) simultaneously. An ''Undisputed'' champion as defined by the WBA, only needs to hold three of the four major titles but in some cases they may change a ''Super'' champion into an ''Undisputed'' champion after a failed title defense (e.g. Anselmo Moreno losing to Juan Payano and Chris John losing to Simpiwe Vetyeka). This is not to be confused by professional boxing's own definition of an

undisputed champion Undisputed championship may refer to: *Undisputed championship (boxing) In boxing, the undisputed champion of a weight class (boxing), weight class is the boxer who simultaneously holds world titles from all major organizations recognized by each ...

, in which a boxer must hold all four major titles. Other former international/national-world boxing commissions and organizations from the beginning of boxing are also included here: *

New York State Athletic Commission The New York State Athletic Commission or NYSAC, also known as the New York Athletic Commission, is a division of the New York State Department of State which regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of New York ...

(

) * National Boxing Association (NBA) – changed its name to World Boxing Association (WBA) in 1962 Note *Interim titles are not included unless they get promoted to the official champion. *For WBA champions, only champions in the WBA primary lineage are listed.

List of WBA secondary champions

List of women's professional boxing world champions

The following is a list of filipina boxing champions who have held titles from one or more of the "Big Four" organizations (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO) and ''The Ring''.

Current titleholders in world boxing sanctioning bodies

Current titleholders in Philippine boxing sanctioning bodies

Philippines Games & Amusement Board

Philippines Boxing Federation

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

A look at the history of boxing in the Philippines
ESPN, Don Stradley, June 25, 2008
The heartbeat of an entire nation, History defines the long love affair with the sport of boxing in the Philippines
ESPN, Nigel Collins, April 10, 2013

''Journal of Combative Sport'', Joseph R. Svinth, July 2001
Filipino World Champions
Boxrec.com
World Champions by Nationality
Boxrec.com
Filipino American Boxers
Boxrec.com
Former World Champions
Philboxing.com
Current Champions
Philboxing.com

Pilipinas United