Gabriel Elorde
Encyclopedia
Gabriel "Flash" Elorde was a Filipino
professional boxer
. He was born and raised in the town of Bogo
, Cebu
.
Elorde was a world super featherweight champion, he won the title in 1960. In 1963, he was inaugurated as WBC and WBA champion. He still holds the junior lightweight division record for longest title reign. It spanned for seven years, and in doing-so he legitimized the division. Elorde is considered as one of the greatest Filipino
boxers
of all-time along with eight-division world champion
Manny Pacquiao
and flyweight
champion in the 1920s, Pancho Villa
. He was much beloved in the Philippines
as a sports and cultural icon, being the first Filipino international boxing champion since Pancho Villa
.
once described his style as the "subtle little temple-dancer moves".
, Cebu
. The youngest of 15 children, he came from a poor family.
Elorde finished only the 3rd grade of his elementary education and was forced to drop out due to extreme poverty. He then began to work as a bearer of bowling balls and, beside this, as a carpenter.
His love for boxing came from a friend, Lucio Laborle, a former professional boxer. Laborle taught him how to box, and Elorde quickly learned the sport and pursued his dream to become a boxer. At the time he was only 16 years old.
, Philippines. The boxing newcomer stopped his foe in the 4th round.
Within a year, Elorde was able to win the national bantamweight title. His potential was evident: he was a solidly built
southpaw whose major asset were his quick hands and relentless body attack on his opponents.
In his first 14 fights he suffered 2 defeats and 1 draw
before coming into his own. He defeated Tanny Campo and Hiroshi Horiguchi both in 12 round decisions to win the Philippine and Asian bantamweight titles. He also outpointed all time great featherweight champion Sandy Saddler
in 1955 in a non-title bout.
In 1956, he was given a rematch with Saddler, this time with Saddler's featherweight title on the line. However, Elorde suffered a cut in his eye and lost the fight on a 13th round TKO. Many boxing experts criticized Saddler, known as a very rough and vicious fighter, for the result of the bout. Jack Fiske of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote: "It was a dirty fight throughout and all the onus must be on the 126-pound champion's skinny shoulders. From this corner it appeared highly improbable that he could have successfully defended the title … if he hadn't resorted to all the so-called tricks in and out of the rule book."
He won the world super featherweight title on March 16, 1960 by knocking out the defending world champion Harold Gomes
in seven rounds. That night, Elorde ended the country’s 20-year world championship drought. The crowd estimated to be around 30,000, inside the newly built Araneta Coliseum, rushed into the ring after seeing Gomes go down to his knees at the one minute and 50 seconds mark of the seventh round. The event happened two decades after compatriot Ceferino Garcia
, known as the father of the ‘bolo punch’, lost the middleweight division he lorded over until 1940.
Elorde floored Gomes in the second round with a right hook to the head. The Filipino challenger knocked down the 25-year-old Gomes again in the third and in the fifth, sending him over the ring’s lower rope at the end of the round. In the next round, Gomes mounted a brief comeback, but at the start of the seventh, Elorde hammered him again, connecting with rights to the head followed by a left to the jaw that sent him down once more. Gomes got up but was floored again after receiving a combination of lefts and rights. He then met a series of combinations that led the referee Barney Ross to count him out. When Gomes recovered, he went to Elorde’s corner and whispered: “It was a good fight.”
He defended the crown 10 times until June 15, 1967 where he lost a majority decision to Yoshiaki Numata of Japan. This made him the longest reigning world junior lightweight champion ever (seven years and three months).
Elorde also challenged lightweight
Carlos Ortiz
for his world title on two occasions. He was stopped both times by Ortiz in the 14th round.
Elorde retired with a record of 88 wins (33 KOs), 27 losses and 2 draws. He is considered the greatest super featherweight champion of all time in WBC
history.
and Rico J. Puno
), wherein he famously said the words ".... isang platitong mani" (one plate of peanuts), was recently named as the No.1 Filipino advertisement of all time. Another commercial showed him saying the popular line "Wag namang bara-bara, Bay."
. He was also enshrined into the World Boxing Hall of Fame
. Elorde's father-in-law
, Lope Sarreal, one of Asia's most prominent boxing promoters, was later inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Elorde was also voted the 78th best fighter by the Ring Magazine's writers in 2002 when the Ring Magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years was released.
On March 25, 2010, Elorde's family, headed by his widow Laura, commemorated his 25th death anniversary and 75th birth anniversary. They also celebrated his historical win against defending WBA junior-lightweight champion Harold Gomes
that ended the RP’s 20-year world championship drought.
Filipino boxers Brian Viloria
, Donnie Nietes
, Rodel Mayol
, Marvin Sonsona
and Gerry Peñalosa
received an award for their contributions. Z Gorres
also attended the event. Manny Pacquiao
was also a special guest in the ceremony.
Elorde, together with his wife, Laura, all in all have seven children. Through this, 20 grandchildren have sprung, as well as 7 great-grandchildren. Elorde has two grandsons named Juan Martin "Bai" Elorde and Juan Miguel "Migs" Elorde, who are also professional boxers. One of his grandsons, Jordan Konstantine Elorde, is also training to become a professional boxer.
is dedicated to him. It hosts boxing matches.
|-
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
professional boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
. He was born and raised in the town of Bogo
Bogo
Bogo may refer to:* Bogø, a Danish island in the Baltic Sea* BOGO is an acronym for "buy one, get one." A similar acronym is BOGOF, which means...
, Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
.
Elorde was a world super featherweight champion, he won the title in 1960. In 1963, he was inaugurated as WBC and WBA champion. He still holds the junior lightweight division record for longest title reign. It spanned for seven years, and in doing-so he legitimized the division. Elorde is considered as one of the greatest Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
boxers
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
of all-time along with eight-division world champion
Septuple champion
In different sports when a sportsman wins seven crowns, titles, medals, belts or another distinctions is called a Septuple Champion.-Boxing:In boxing, a septuple champion is a boxer who has won world titles in seven different weight classes....
Manny Pacquiao
Manny Pacquiao
Emmanuel "Manny" Dapidran Pacquiao, PLH is a Filipino professional boxer and politician. He is the first eight-division world champion; having won six world titles, as well as the first to win the lineal championship in four different weight classes. He was named "Fighter of the Decade" for the...
and flyweight
Flyweight
Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing less than 112 lb but above 108 lb .-Professional boxing:...
champion in the 1920s, Pancho Villa
Francisco Guilledo
Francisco Guilledo , more commonly known as Pancho Villa, was a Filipino boxer. Villa, who stood only 5 feet and 1 inch tall and never weighed more than 114 pounds , rose from obscurity to win the World Flyweight boxing championship in 1923, earning acclaim in some quarters as "the...
. He was much beloved in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
as a sports and cultural icon, being the first Filipino international boxing champion since Pancho Villa
Francisco Guilledo
Francisco Guilledo , more commonly known as Pancho Villa, was a Filipino boxer. Villa, who stood only 5 feet and 1 inch tall and never weighed more than 114 pounds , rose from obscurity to win the World Flyweight boxing championship in 1923, earning acclaim in some quarters as "the...
.
Fighting style
A southpaw, Flash Elorde was known for his boxing skills and speed. Writer Robert LipsyteRobert Lipsyte
Robert Lipsyte is an American sports journalist and author. Lipsyte is a member of the Board of Contributors for USA Todays Forum Page, part of the newspaper’s Opinion section.-Personal background:...
once described his style as the "subtle little temple-dancer moves".
Early life
Gabriel Elorde was born in the town of BogoBogo
Bogo may refer to:* Bogø, a Danish island in the Baltic Sea* BOGO is an acronym for "buy one, get one." A similar acronym is BOGOF, which means...
, Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
. The youngest of 15 children, he came from a poor family.
Elorde finished only the 3rd grade of his elementary education and was forced to drop out due to extreme poverty. He then began to work as a bearer of bowling balls and, beside this, as a carpenter.
His love for boxing came from a friend, Lucio Laborle, a former professional boxer. Laborle taught him how to box, and Elorde quickly learned the sport and pursued his dream to become a boxer. At the time he was only 16 years old.
Professional career
Elorde made his professional debut at the age of 16 on June 16, 1951, against Kid Gonzaga. The bout was held in CebuCebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
, Philippines. The boxing newcomer stopped his foe in the 4th round.
Within a year, Elorde was able to win the national bantamweight title. His potential was evident: he was a solidly built
southpaw whose major asset were his quick hands and relentless body attack on his opponents.
In his first 14 fights he suffered 2 defeats and 1 draw
before coming into his own. He defeated Tanny Campo and Hiroshi Horiguchi both in 12 round decisions to win the Philippine and Asian bantamweight titles. He also outpointed all time great featherweight champion Sandy Saddler
Sandy Saddler
Joseph "Sandy" Saddler was an American boxer born in Boston, Massachusetts. He was a two-time featherweight world champion, and also held the junior lightweight crown. Over his twelve-year career , Saddler scored 103 knockouts. He was stopped only once, in his second pro fight, by Jock Leslie. ...
in 1955 in a non-title bout.
In 1956, he was given a rematch with Saddler, this time with Saddler's featherweight title on the line. However, Elorde suffered a cut in his eye and lost the fight on a 13th round TKO. Many boxing experts criticized Saddler, known as a very rough and vicious fighter, for the result of the bout. Jack Fiske of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote: "It was a dirty fight throughout and all the onus must be on the 126-pound champion's skinny shoulders. From this corner it appeared highly improbable that he could have successfully defended the title … if he hadn't resorted to all the so-called tricks in and out of the rule book."
He won the world super featherweight title on March 16, 1960 by knocking out the defending world champion Harold Gomes
Harold Gomes
Harold Gomes is a former professional boxer. He fought 60 times between 1951 and 1963; winning 50 and losing 10...
in seven rounds. That night, Elorde ended the country’s 20-year world championship drought. The crowd estimated to be around 30,000, inside the newly built Araneta Coliseum, rushed into the ring after seeing Gomes go down to his knees at the one minute and 50 seconds mark of the seventh round. The event happened two decades after compatriot Ceferino Garcia
Ceferino Garcia
Ceferino Garcia was a champion boxer born in Naval, Biliran, Philippines. His number of victories are the most ever achieved by a Filipino boxer. He's also the only boxer from the Philippines ever to become world champion at middleweight. He was managed, during the final years of his career by...
, known as the father of the ‘bolo punch’, lost the middleweight division he lorded over until 1940.
Elorde floored Gomes in the second round with a right hook to the head. The Filipino challenger knocked down the 25-year-old Gomes again in the third and in the fifth, sending him over the ring’s lower rope at the end of the round. In the next round, Gomes mounted a brief comeback, but at the start of the seventh, Elorde hammered him again, connecting with rights to the head followed by a left to the jaw that sent him down once more. Gomes got up but was floored again after receiving a combination of lefts and rights. He then met a series of combinations that led the referee Barney Ross to count him out. When Gomes recovered, he went to Elorde’s corner and whispered: “It was a good fight.”
He defended the crown 10 times until June 15, 1967 where he lost a majority decision to Yoshiaki Numata of Japan. This made him the longest reigning world junior lightweight champion ever (seven years and three months).
Elorde also challenged lightweight
Lightweight
Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
Carlos Ortiz
Carlos Ortiz
For the Cuban wrestler with the same name see Carlos Julian OrtízCarlos Ortiz is a Puerto Rican who was a three time world boxing champion, twice in the lightweight division and once in the Jr. Welterweights....
for his world title on two occasions. He was stopped both times by Ortiz in the 14th round.
Elorde retired with a record of 88 wins (33 KOs), 27 losses and 2 draws. He is considered the greatest super featherweight champion of all time in WBC
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
history.
Outside the ring
After his retirement, Elorde remained in the Philippines within the public eye. He was a prominent commercial endorser, especially for San Miguel Beer. In fact, his San Miguel Beer TV commercial (together with Bert MarceloBert Marcelo
Bert "Tawa" Marcelo was a prominent Filipino television personality whose trademark high-pitched infectious laughter earned him the popular moniker "Tawa", after the Tagalog word for laugh...
and Rico J. Puno
Rico J. Puno
Enrico de Jesus Puno , better known as Rico J. Puno, is a popular Filipino pop singing artist and television host who is credited as a pioneer-promoter of original Filipino music. He started the trend of incorporating Tagalog lyrics in his rendition of the American song The Way We Were and other...
), wherein he famously said the words ".... isang platitong mani" (one plate of peanuts), was recently named as the No.1 Filipino advertisement of all time. Another commercial showed him saying the popular line "Wag namang bara-bara, Bay."
Legacy
In 1993, he became the first Asian inducted into the New York-based International Boxing Hall of FameInternational Boxing Hall of Fame
The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta...
. He was also enshrined into the World Boxing Hall of Fame
World Boxing Hall of Fame
The World Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Riverside, California, United States, in Southern California. The WBHF is one of two recognized international boxing halls of fame with the other being the International Boxing Hall of Fame , with the IBHOF being the more widely recognized...
. Elorde's father-in-law
Father-in-law
A parent-in-law is a person who has a legal affinity with another by being the parent of the other's spouse. Many cultures and legal systems impose duties and responsibilities on persons connected by this relationship...
, Lope Sarreal, one of Asia's most prominent boxing promoters, was later inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Elorde was also voted the 78th best fighter by the Ring Magazine's writers in 2002 when the Ring Magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years was released.
On March 25, 2010, Elorde's family, headed by his widow Laura, commemorated his 25th death anniversary and 75th birth anniversary. They also celebrated his historical win against defending WBA junior-lightweight champion Harold Gomes
Harold Gomes
Harold Gomes is a former professional boxer. He fought 60 times between 1951 and 1963; winning 50 and losing 10...
that ended the RP’s 20-year world championship drought.
Filipino boxers Brian Viloria
Brian Viloria
Brian Viloria is a Filipino-American professional boxer He is the reigning WBO Flyweight champion. He also won the WBC Light Flyweight and IBF Junior Flyweight titles...
, Donnie Nietes
Donnie Nietes
Donnie Nietes is a Filipino professional boxer and the WBO Light Flyweight World Champion. He is also a former WBO Minimumweight World Champion. His cousin, Gerson Nietes, is also a boxer....
, Rodel Mayol
Rodel Mayol
Rodel Bryan Generalao Mayol , more commonly known as just Rodel Mayol, is a Filipino professional boxer and the former WBC Light Flyweight World Champion.-Early life:...
, Marvin Sonsona
Marvin Sonsona
Marvin Sonsona is a Soccsksargenese professional boxer and a former WBO Super Flyweight World Champion. A relative of his named Eden Sonsona is also a boxer and a former Philippine national bantamweight champion...
and Gerry Peñalosa
Gerry Peñalosa
Geronimo Peñalosa , more commonly known as Gerry Peñalosa, is a retired Filipino professional boxer....
received an award for their contributions. Z Gorres
Z Gorres
Zeta Celestino Oliveros Gorres, better known as Z Gorres, is a retired Filipino professional boxer.-Personal life:Gorres has a brother named Jun Gorres who was formerly a boxer but was stabbed to death in a street fight. His real name is a combination of those of his parents; Zeta and Celestino ...
also attended the event. Manny Pacquiao
Manny Pacquiao
Emmanuel "Manny" Dapidran Pacquiao, PLH is a Filipino professional boxer and politician. He is the first eight-division world champion; having won six world titles, as well as the first to win the lineal championship in four different weight classes. He was named "Fighter of the Decade" for the...
was also a special guest in the ceremony.
Personal life
He was married to Laura Elorde. His sons Gabriel Jr. (Bebot), Marty and Johnny went into the world of boxing as promoters and managers. His daughters, as well as the rest of his family have been in the boxing industry since the death of the great "Flash". As a family, they have expanded the Elorde name into becoming a brand. They have made merchandise and gyms throughout the country. International endeavors are still being considered.Elorde, together with his wife, Laura, all in all have seven children. Through this, 20 grandchildren have sprung, as well as 7 great-grandchildren. Elorde has two grandsons named Juan Martin "Bai" Elorde and Juan Miguel "Migs" Elorde, who are also professional boxers. One of his grandsons, Jordan Konstantine Elorde, is also training to become a professional boxer.
In popular culture
The Elorde Sports Center in Paranaque CityParañaque City
The City of Parañaque , or simply Parañaque , is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila in the Philippines....
is dedicated to him. It hosts boxing matches.
See also
- List of WBC world champions
- List of undisputed boxing champions
- List of Filipino boxing world champions
External links
- Philboxing.com - Gabriel "Flash" Elorde
- Elorde Gyms Manila
- HBO: Boxing: Feature: Before there was Manny Pacquiao, there was Flash Elorde
- Gabriel "Flash" Elorde - IBHOF Biography
- Elorde Flattens Gomes to Win Junior Lightweight Ring Title The Day. 17 March 1960.
- Elorde Puts Away Gomes In The 1st The Times News. 18 August 1960.
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