Congratulations Philippines!

Last Sunday, another Filipino brought pride to the country when Silvester Lopez, current WBC International Superflyweight Champion, captured the WBC Silver Superflyweight belt from Oscar Ibarra via an 8th round TKO via referee stoppage. This win also makes him the mandatory challenger for the first title defense of newly-crowned WBC Superflyweight champion Suriyan Sor Rungvisai.

from Rey Danseco's photo collection

This victory is really something big for him and his stablemates in the Elorde boxing stable. It’s quite obvious the importance of this to him, but to his stablemates, this is some feat as he is the first boxer who is successful in getting a World Title belt in his stable. For his stablemates, he serves as an inspiration to all of them, especially now that a WBC Youth Championship bout is scheduled to be staged here in the country sometime in October.

Reading from the internet all the comments from different nationalities, views differ. Some said that Ibarra was never an elite boxer and that his ownership of the belt will be short-lived. Of course these all came from Mexicans, and their reaction is already quite expected. Many said that his win is a convincing one and that even if the bout was not stopped, it was clear that he dominated most of the rounds. He already showed his great skills even when he fought Juan Jose Montes, which was prematurely stopped at the 5th round, and he is on his way on proving that he has great potential.

But one thing is clear. This is one rare opportunity given to Lopez and his management, so better do something about this to ensure that this won’t be thrown to waste. Lopez must do his share to ensure that his training be as competitive as ever: hard enough to prepare himself for more elite and experienced boxers, but just enough so as not to strain his body too much. At the same time, his management should do their share of ensuring that he will be given proper preparatory fights prior to his first defense. His defense bout should be given in a timely manner: soon enough so as not to kill his momentum, but long enough to ensure that he comes well-prepared.

With great power comes great responsibility. In this case, with great success comes great pressure as well. Just don’t lose focus and as long as everyone remains on their toes and remain on track, we’ll all be fine.

Related articles:

• Lopez stops Ibarra in 8
• SYLVESTER LOPEZ STOPS IBARRA, WINS WBC SILVER TITLE
• SULAIMAN RULES SYLVESTER LOPEZ IS THE NEW WBC SILVER CHAMPION
• Cuello, Lopez on cue in title bids

Congratulations Silvester B. Lopez!

Congratulations! We are so proud of you!

I haven’t read any related news article yet, but who needs those when you can know the news straight from the horse’s mouth? Haha!

This fight against Oscar Ibarra is the final eliminator for the WBC Superflyweight Title. Next fight in line: the WBC Superflyweight Title

from fightnews.com

Will post a more serious entry soon. I’ll just let this endorphins die down first. Can’t think straight!

Boxing: SWI vs Elorde

Since 4 weeks ago, I went back to my roots and attended Bernard Thelmo’s kickboxing class in Slimmers World International in Pasay Road. This is the first class that got me hooked in boxing, and in fairness to his class, this class helped me a lot to lose weight, and later on increase my jabbing power.

When I came back, Bernard was kidding me that I already chose Elorde over him. This got me thinking. I love both classes, and given the choice, I would have attended both. The major reason why I took a “leave of absence” from Bernard’s class was for me to be able to focus on my UKC training last year.

I realized that though both offer boxing classes, it’s not right to have the same expectations for both classes. Each class has something unique to offer.

When I go to Bernard’s Kickboxing class, I leave the boxer in me. I don’t expect to learn how to do competitive boxing here. In his class, I’m just a student with an unusual punching power for a girl. But that’s it. No need to brag about me being an Elorde student. What I love about his class? It’s a 1-hour to 2-hour class focused on cardio exercise. In his class, hatak talaga hangin mo. He is firm enough to push his students to their limits. Your stamina and endurance will definitely be tested in his class. It’s also a complete package with everything you need: cardio, weights, abs exercise. 1 session in his class and I already feel that I have my workout done for the day.

Working out in Elorde is a totally different scenario. In the boxing gym, I’m a totally different person. Trainers there joke around saying that I’m a biological boy who underwent surgery to be a girl. Operada raw ako. Other clients tell me that I act and train like a professional boxer, and some clients actually thought that I am one. What I love about Elorde? They taught me discipline. They started my habit of waking up early to run, with fear that skipping the roadwork would have an effect on my stamina. Aside from developing your stamina and endurance, my trainer really give me professional-like training. As in competitive training talaga, and not just training for the sake of weight loss. That’s why I also choose trainers. Otherwise, I don’t think I’ll be posting this entry comparing the two classes. The way my trainer is training me is really the competitive edge of Elorde, at least for me. Greatest compliment I received? It’s like that I punch like a man, and not just any other man but a good male boxer that is. Beat that!

All in all, both classes contributed a lot to my fitness level now, and I don’t think I’ll be leaving any class anytime soon.

Triple Threat Challenge: Biggest Loser, Elorde Makati Edition

This is the “2nd season” of the Biggest Loser, Elorde Makati Edition.

I’m the person who is very hesitant of divulging my weight. Whenever someone asks me what my current weight is, I always just say “mabigat pa.” E totoo naman e.

Why join?

I was at my lightest and fittest when I joined the UKC last year. Somehow, I was spared from the dreaded Christmas and New Year’s weight gain. However, with the consecutive birthday celebrations starting March until my brother’s graduation in July, not to mention all of them being held in eat-all-you-can restaurants…hello to the old me before UKC. =))

I need pressure to lose weight. And this is the reason why I joined this contest. Some gym friends are wondering why I joined this. Considering that I already lost too much weight (70++ lbs), I have definitely reached a plateau. I have also thought about this one, so my condition when I confirmed is that my opponent should not be someone new. He/she should be someone who have been working out for quite some time. Para naman hindi na magugulat yung katawan nya sa boxing. I lost 30 lbs on my 1st three months of working out, so I’m quite sure that agreeing to be matched against someone who is new to boxing is definitely suicide.

Winner will have 3 free sessions. Otherwise, you’ll treat the gym PhP 2,500 worth of pizza.

Triple Threat Challenge!

I was initially planning on posting a weekly progress report, but will just be updating once the final results are out. As of Week 2, so far so good.

Wish me luck! Haha!

Closing Cycles

This note might be so out of place here, but I can so relate to what this blog entry was saying, so might as well share it to everyone else. I first came across this entry from a former officemate’s blog. This was originally taken here.

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One always has to know when a stage comes to an end. If we insist on staying longer than the necessary time, we lose the happiness and the meaning of the other stages we have to go through.
Closing cycles, shutting doors, ending chapters – whatever name we give it, what matters is to leave in the past the moments of life that have finished.

Did you lose your job? Has a loving relationship come to an end? Did you leave your parents’ house? Gone to live abroad? Has a long-lasting friendship ended all of a sudden? You can spend a long time wondering why this has happened.

You can tell yourself you won’t take another step until you find out why certain things that were so important and so solid in your life have turned into dust, just like that. But such an attitude will be awfully stressing for everyone involved: your parents, your husband or wife, your friends, your children, your sister.
Everyone is finishing chapters, turning over new leaves, getting on with life, and they will all feel bad seeing you at a standstill.

Things pass, and the best we can do is to let them really go away.

That is why it is so important (however painful it may be!) to destroy souvenirs, move, give lots of things away to orphanages, sell or donate the books you have at home.

Everything in this visible world is a manifestation of the invisible world, of what is going on in our hearts – and getting rid of certain memories also means making some room for other memories to take their place.
Let things go. Release them. Detach yourself from them.

Nobody plays this life with marked cards, so sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. Do not expect anything in return, do not expect your efforts to be appreciated, your genius to be discovered, your love to be understood.

Stop turning on your emotional television to watch the same program over and over again, the one that shows how much you suffered from a certain loss: that is only poisoning you, nothing else.

Nothing is more dangerous than not accepting love relationships that are broken off, work that is promised but there is no starting date, decisions that are always put off waiting for the “ideal moment.”

Before a new chapter is begun, the old one has to be finished: tell yourself that what has passed will never come back.
Remember that there was a time when you could live without that thing or that person – nothing is irreplaceable, a habit is not a need.
This may sound so obvious, it may even be difficult, but it is very important.

Closing cycles. Not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because that no longer fits your life.

Shut the door, change the record, clean the house, shake off the dust.

Stop being who you were, and change into who you are.