Tepora triumphs

It was a great week for Pinoy boxing as the country produced three new world champions in a span of three days. Vic Saludar won the WBO strawweight championship in Japan. Manny Pacquiao won yet another world title, the WBA welterweight championship, and in the same card, Cebu’s Jhack “El Capitan” Tepora won the interim WBA featherweight championship in Malaysia. The other Pinoy world champions are Jerwin Ancajas (IBF super flyweight champ), Raymart Garballo (interim WBA bantamweight champion) and Michael Dasmarinas (IBO bantamweight champion). Donnie Nietes or Aliston Palicte will be the next Pinoy world champ when they face off against each other in August for the WBO junior bantamweight title.

In Tepora of the Omega Boxing Gym, Cebu Boxing is proud to produce yet another world champion in recent years after Donnie Nietes, Milan Melindo and Johnriel Casimero (who was once part of the Omega family). For Jhack, the timing was just right after his management team’s being patient and not rushing things. The climb to the title had its series of breakthroughs when Jhack won regional belts of the WBF and the WBO in the junior featherweight (122 pounds) and later the featherweight divisions (126 pounds). There was no doubt that Tepora was talented and world-class.

Tepora won all these title fights by knock-out, setting the stage for a tie-up with MP Promotions of Pacquiao. The big question in everyone’s minds was how good he really was and how he would fare against worldclass opponents.

Tepora’s second round knock-out win over Lusanda Komanisi of South Africa had to be the bell that rang and signaled that he was ready for the big time. And with the help of matchmaker Sean Gibbons, the stage was set. The fight against Edivaldo Ortega last week was no different. Tepora was dominating the fight and it was a matter of time before he would find that right hook-right uppercut combination to send Ortega to the canvass. How dominating was Jhack? At the end of the eighth round, he was leading on all three scorecards, 78-74, 79-73 and 77-75, thanks to his landing the more telling blows and using combinations to outbox the Mexican. I’m pretty sure this domination had softened Ortega who was ripe for the picking in the ninth round. Methodical in slowly but surely beating up Ortega, Tepora also proved that he can go long for extra rounds. His last three fights before this one lasted for only a combined eight rounds (all of these set for 12 rounds).

So what’s next for “El Capitan?” The interim title should not be the end, but only the beginning for Tepora. I’m sure his management and coaching staff realize that things have only just begun and Jhack will have to work harder to become a better boxer if they’re in this for the long haul. The battles up ahead will be a lot tougher and the opponents a lot better. Holding on to the title won’t be a piece of cake as tons of challenges, both on and off the ring, will come Jhack’s way. On top of the need to stay sharp on the technical side, there’s a need to also help Jhack on the mental and personal side. Sports psychology will come in handy when facing the tougher battles with a level-head, and living a simple and disciplined lifestyle is a must.

The first priority of the Omega Boxing Gym should be to get rid of the “interim” tag to Jhack’s title. Nobody wants to be known as an interim champion; they all want the regular belt. For one to create a legacy, he must be a regular champ or win the WBA Super championship. Based on the WBA website, Jesus

M. Rojas is also an interim WBA featherweight champion who faces Joseph Diaz in a title fight in August. My guess is that the winner of this fight will be obliged to face Tepora for the regular world title. Leo Santa Cruz is the WBA Super featherweight champion, fresh from defeating Abner Mares in a title defense. He will be Tepora’s ultimate target, but this will have to wait for some time. In recent talks, Tepora is pegged to fight in November, but we’re not sure if this is against the winner of the Rojas-Diaz fight or if it will be a defense of Jhack’s interim title. Gibbons and MP Promotions will most likely give Tepora another tune-up fight before facing the either Rojas or Diaz around the first quarter of 2019.

What else should happen? If there’s good news, there is also bad news. It’s my wish that Tepora’s win will re-boost local boxing. The irony of Cebu Boxing is that after the world championships won by Nietes, Melindo and now Tepora, boxing activity hasn’t increased and might have even decreased. According to boxrec.com files and confirmed by GAB Central Visayas chief Lando Mendoza, Cebu had only four boxing events since the start of the year, while our neighbor Bohol had five. Isn’t there something wrong here? Where are those boxing cards needed by Cebu Boxing’s young upstarts and world title prospects? It now looks like we can’t claim to be the country’s hotbed of boxing. Philboxing’s Dong Secuya couldn’t have said it better. “The hotbed has become cold,” he said in a message. Can we ask Cebu’s promoters ALA, RWS, Omega and Big Yellow to bring back those days of monthly boxing events? Let’s also throw in Gerry Peñalosa and Elorde Boxing in the mix too. Where are all those sponsors who actively supported boxing? Dr. Rene Bonsubre also wrote in a philboxing story, “A few years ago, Cebu had at least four competing promoters, almost monthly shows. Was it coincidence that when PAC's popularity went down, fewer promotions happened?”

Tepora triumphs big indeed. Kudos to Jhack and the rest of Team Tepora and the Omega Boxing Gym. Now it’s time to rejoice by doing what needs to be done: stage more boxing. Boxing pa more!