World Slasher Cup unfurls on May 25 at Big Dome
WORLD-CLASS 9-cock derby will once again be on showcase as the second serving this year of the World Slasher Cup unfurls on May 25 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
A seven-day event, the World Slasher Cup will once again gather top cockers both here and abroad to battle for honor and prestige in the event many consider as the “Olympics of cockfighting.”
Heading the list of participants in this edition of the Cup are Frank Berin (Sebastian NEJ) who is out to score back-to-back wins after topping the first edition this year last January.
Joining him are the team of Magno Lim, Gary Tesorero and Jun Durano (ML G63), which emerged as the winner in the 2016 World Slasher Cup 2.
The foreign contingent looking to come away with the title include Roger Roberts (Georgia), Tim Fritzgerald (Utah), Greg Saludares, Kini Kalawaii and Butch Cambria (Hawaii), Zaldy Sandoval (California), Greg Berin (Australia), Bel Almojera (Florida), Matthew Dunne (Alabama) and Soan Sogianto (Indonesia).
Veteran cockers in the country also participating, meanwhile, include Nene Araneta, Rep. Patrick Antonio, Peping Cojuangco, Nestor Vendivil, Gov. Ito Ynares, Jun Sevilla, James Uy, Rep. Jose Panganiban, Eric Dela Rosa, Gov. Gerry Boy Espina and Biboy Enriquez.
All in all, organizers said more than 200 participants are expected for the 2017 World Slasher Cup 2 Invitational 9-cock derby. The Cup will have the two-cock eliminations for the first 100 or more entries on opening day on Thursday, and another two-cock eliminations for the next 100 or more entries on May 26.
The three-cock semifinals for the May 25 elims take place on May 27 and for those on May 26 will be on May 28.
May 29 will see the four-cock finals for those with 2, 2.5, 3 and 3.5 points from the May 27 semis while the fourcock finals for those with similar points in the May 28 semis happen on May 30.
The four-cock finals for those with 4, 4.5 and 5 points will happen on May 31.
Organizers said that participants who will score a total of six points (any option) will get a substantial prize.
‘ONE OF THE BEST’
“I’ve been competing in the Slasher Cup since 2006 and I have to say that it is one of the best organized that I have competed in,” said Mr. Cambria from Hawaii during the press conference for the World Slasher Cup 2 yesterday at the Novotel Manila at the Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City.
“Competition in the Slasher Cup is very stiff as you are up against some of the best in the world. It has been a while since we last won here. So we really prepared hard going into the Cup,” 2017 World Slasher Cup 1 winner Berin, for his part, said.
‘The World Slasher Cup is the longestrunning cock derby in the country and along with competing in it is the honor the goes with it. It has been an entertainment staple for Araneta for a long time now and we have seen it grow throughout the years,” said Irene L. Jose, senior vice-president/officer-in-charge of Uniprom, Inc., the group handling Araneta Center’s entertainment side, in an interview with BusinessWorld on the sidelines of yesterday’s press conference.
“The feedback that we have gotten for it has been good, particularly how it has elevated cockfighting in the country with the different techniques and technology being used by local and international cockers that compete in it,” Ms. Jose added.
The World Slasher Cup 2, hosted by Pintakis of Champions, is supported by Petron, Thunderbird, Excellence Poultry and Livestock Specialist and Pitgames Media.