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Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Luisito "Lindol" Espinosa has held two different world-boxing titles

A gold medal at the first Muhammad Ali Cup Invitational Boxing Championship, a silver at the 1997 World Boxing Championships, a bronze at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and a bronze at the 1998 Goodwill Games. These are just a few of the many honors Roel Velasco has brought home from grueling international boxing competitions.

With such feats, Roel, the older brother of Olympic silver medallist Mansueto "Onyok" Velasco, is perhaps the country's most successful amateur boxer. In September 1997, Roel, a light flyweight, won the country's first gold medal in the Muhammad Ali Cup Invitational Boxing Championship. That was his third international gold medal in that year, after winning gold medals at the Italian Boxing Championship in Italy and the Balado Memorial Cup in Cuba.

In July 1998, then 24-year-old Roel also won the country's first-ever bronze medal in the Goodwill Games held in New York, USA when he outclassed an American opponent. He later lost to a Russian boxer in the semifinals to settle for the bronze. Before this, Roel won the silver medal in the World Championships held in Budapest, Hungary in 1997.

Roel was the sole Filipino medallist (outside demonstration sports) in the 1992 Olympic Games held in Barcelona, Spain. He won the Olympic bronze medal when he was only 18 years old. Roel was born in Bago City, Negros Occidental province in 1974. He is a member of the Philippine Navy.

Ceferino Garcia
Ceferino Garcia was the heaviest Filipino ever who became a world-boxing champion. Known for his bolo punch, he captured the world middleweight title on October 2, 1939 when he knocked out Fred Apostoli in New York. He defended his crown against top rivals twice (Americans Glen Lee and Henry Armstrong) before losing his title in May 1940. Before he switched to the middleweight division, Garcia became a welterweight champion when he knocked out boxing legend and war hero Barney Ross in 1937 and Henry Armstrong in 1938.

He was born in 1912 and grew up in Tondo, Manila. In 1977, Ceferino Garcia was inducted into the Ring Magazine Hall of Fame and into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1981.

Luisito Espinosa
For five years, Luisito "Lindol" Espinosa has held two different world-boxing titles: the World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight crown and the World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight belt.

In 1996, Luisito Espinosa was named "Athlete of the Year" for defending his World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight crown twice. He edged out Olympic silver medallist Mansueto Velasco in the country's top athlete award. He was again feted the "Athlete of the Year" award in 1999 alongside golfer Frankie Minoza.

The five-foot-seven boxer was born in Tondo, Manila on June 26, 1967.

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