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Boxing outfit ALA Promotions has big plans for 2015

Boxers of the ALA stable (from left) Genesis Servania, King Arthur Villanueva, and Jason Pagara. (Photo courtesy of Ronnie Nathanielsz)
Boxers of the ALA stable (from left) Genesis Servania, King Arthur Villanueva, and Jason Pagara. (Photo courtesy of Ronnie Nathanielsz)

ALA Promotions, the famed outfit based in Cebu, has big plans for 2015 including a major foray into the fiercely competitive United States market anchored on at least three fight cards, while continuing with its eminently successful “Pinoy Pride” series in the Philippines in partnership with the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN and The Filipino Channel.

Taking heart from its initial international event before a turn-away crowd at the World Trade Center in Dubai, ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer said that in response to an overwhelming demand from overseas Filipinos , they would return in November for a blockbuster card at the Tennis stadium in Dubai which can accommodate a much bigger crowd.

But while ALA Promotions targets an expanded market abroad, Michael isn’t forgetting the Philippines where the “Pinoy Pride” series has continued to turn in remarkable TV ratings on a consistent basis.

The first “Pinoy Pride” series for 2015 will be held February in Davao City with junior welterweight Jason “El Nino” Pagara, headlining a card that will include undefeated super bantamweight Genesis Servania and unbeaten super flyweight King Arthur Villanueva.

The 26-year-old Pagara has a record of 34-2 with 21 knockouts and is the reigning WBO International 140-pound champion, having won the vacant title with a sixth-round TKO over menacing-looking Rosbel Montoya on August 18, 2012 in a rematch.

Super bantamweight Genesis “Azukal” Servania is 23 and boasts of a record of 25-0 with 11 knockouts. He is the current WBO Intercontinental 122 pound  champion having won the title with a spectacular second-round knockout of Panama’s Rafael “El Torito” Concepcion who had previously scored a 10th-round KO of AJ “Bazooka” Banal in a WBA super flyweight interim title bout on July 26, 2008 before a stunned crowd at the Cebu Coliseum.

Concepcion also dropped a 12-round unanimous decision to Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire in August 2009. Concepcion came in several pounds overweight in a WBA Interim super flyweight title fight in an effort to try and bully Donaire who put on a clinical display to outbox the Panamanian and win a twelve round unanimous decision.

Servania is ranked No.1 by the WBO and No. 9 by the IBF and was a big winner at the World Trade Center in Dubai when he forced Jose “Matador” Cabrera (22-4-2, 10 KO’s) of Mexico to retire in the 10th round much to the delight of the predominantly Filipino crowd.

The other star on the stellar card will be King Arthur Villanueva, the undefeated 25-year-old IBF Intercontinental super flyweight champion who won the vacant title with a 12-round split decision over Nicaragua’s Henry “El Crespo” Maldonado also at the Dubai World Trade Center on September 5 last year.

Villanueva (26-0 with 14 knockouts) had previously won the vacant WBO International title with a smashing first-round knockout of Edgar Martinez  of Mexico on October 26, 2013, dropping Martinez twice in the opening round, and also won the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Taiki Eto of Japan on December 19, 2012.

The multi-titled Villanueva is ranked No.1 by the WBO, No. 3 by the IBF, No. 7 by the WBA and No. 12 by the WBC.

ALA Promotions will once again bring world championship boxing to Manila on March 28 when former flyweight challenger Milan Melindo ( 32-1, 12 KO’s) who lost in his bid to win the WBO flyweight title against tough Mexican Juan Francisco Estrada, battles another hardy Mexican Javier Mendoza, the current IBF light flyweight champion who has an impressive record of 22-2-1 with 18 big knockouts, indicating he has power.

Melindo dropped down from flyweight and was promptly ranked No.1 after winning a title eliminator over 24 year old No. 10 ranked Saul Juarez, also of Mexico who had a record of 20-3 with 11 knockouts going into the clash with Melindo.

IBF champion Mendoza won the title by a 12-round unanimous decision over veteran Ramon Garcia Hirales, a crafty southpaw who first lost his title to Donnie  “Ahas” NIetes on October 8, 2011 before a huge crowd at the University of St. La Salle Coliseum in Bacolod City.

Trainer Edito “Ala” Villamor realizes that Melindo has a fight on his hands and told Yahoo Philippines that none of the ALA fighters took off during the holidays.

He said “they continued to train because there is no substitute for training.”

Michael Aldeguer told Yahoo Philippines that he had discussed his 2015 plans with ABS-CBN top honcho Gabby Lopez and Raffy Lopez who runs The Filipino Channel, based in the US.

He said they would promote two comparatively small cards in San Francisco in May and San Diego in June under the “Idol” banner before the big event in September at the popular StubHub Center in Carson City, California where it will be a blockbuster Philippine-Mexico showdown.

Aldeguer told us that colorful and exciting featherweight Mark “Magnifico”  Magsayo (9-0, 7 KO’s) will be featured in the main event in May while the extremely promising 20 year old  prospect, Prince Albert Pagara, the IBF Inter-Continental super bantamweight champion (22-0, 15 KO’s) will headline the June promotion.

Michael indicated the tie-up with TFC is part of a strategy “to build the US market and to expose our fighters there.”

He noted that there are a number of Fil-Am boxers in the US who he would like to incorporate into the ALA program.

Aldeguer said he realizes that “the boxing experts (including the media) are in the US and our American promotions will not be a one-shot event.”

The hard-working and innovative son of renowned boxing patron Tony Aldeguer feels there is a definite future for Filipino fighters in the sport and he is bent on keeping it alive with a number of promotions including a “Pinoy Pride” card in Cebu in May and the big event in Dubai in November.

He worked tirelessly to acquire a promoter’s license in the US and is committed to establishing the ALA trademark of excellence and style.

Michael will open up an ALA Gym in California having scouted for potential sites during his trips to the US and has also decided to acquire an apartment where the boxers and trainers could stay and to set up an office to handle ALA Promotions ambitious thrust into the heartland of boxing which is the United States.