Pancho Villa first fight in the US was
in Jersey City.
The Jersey Journal issue 6/7/ 1922 reads:
Heralded as flyweight and
bantamweight champion of the Orient and Australia absorbed a boxing lesson by
Abe Goldstein at the Oakland AA last
night. Acting under the New York Jewish
boy was content to jab and cut off the diminutive Filipino who was handicapped
by height, reach and weight. (114-1/2
to 112-1/2)
Only on the twelfth round did the visitor flash the brand of festive endeavor that would entitle him to a match with American flyweight. In the other eleven rounds Goldstein simply toyed with his opponent, receiving 99 percent of the enemy punches (mostly wild ones) or arms and shoulder. Villa was personification of politeness after repeatedly boxing fouls, outside of that he has a lot to learn about the manly art of defense. According to the “dope” he will be re-matched with Goldstein or another charitable Yankee scrapper, for a bout in the greater city.
Pancho Villa next match was in New York
against the popular Frank Genaro, the US champion who was just coming off from
the Olympic. His successes followed and
considered one of the all time greats in his weight class. The early Filipinos in America were looking
for hero and they found one in the boxing arena.
Second fight. In New York
City
THREE STAR SCRAPS AT EBBETS’
FIELD
Jersey Journal’s Sports Page
on Aug 26. 1922.
Indications are that Ebbets Field will be taxed to its capacity tonight, the magnets being boxing between Pancho Villa, fly and bantamweight champion of the Orient and Frankie Genaro of New York; Babe Herman, whom Jack Dempsey brought from the Pacific Coast and Eddie Brady of Brooklyn, Rocky O’Gatty of New York and Hausner of Coney Island; Flipo Flores, lightweight champion of Manila and Eddie Clifford of Greenpoint…
Flipo Flores, Filipino Lightweight knocks out Eddie Clifford of Brooklyn in the fourth round of as six match at Ebbets Field last night.
Genaro of New York won a decision over Pancho Villa from the Philippines. Genaro weighted 110 and Villa 109-1/2.
(Note: Flipo Flores won by KO but I suspect that Pancho Villa (named for the famous Mexican bandit) started to show that he was a great champion of the Philippines)
Viloria, who could have
represented the country as his parents are natives of Ilocos Sur, said he could
not turn his back on the US boxing team because of the fine treatment being
accorded him by the US Amateur Boxing Association the past several years and by
the Northern Michigan University in Marquette where he enjoys a sports
scholarship.
Viloria, 19, is one of
America's brightest hopes for a gold in boxing having won several gold medals
the past years, including last year's world championship in Houston, Texas.
He also handily survived
the US boxing eliminations and is now looking at the Olympic qualifications,
the final step to a trip to Sydney.
Viloria was one of the
Fil-Americans eyed by the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines to join
the RP to the 2000 Olympics after he won the gold in last year's Liverpool
International Boxing Championships.
But Viloria, who delights
onlookers by dancing the hula after a championship fight that earned him the
nickname "The Hawaiian Punch," said that while he appreciated the
interest of Philippine sports officials to have him in the team, he could not
accommodate them at the moment.
Viloria was born in
Hawaii but spent his younger years in Ilocos Sur. In fact, Viloria still speaks
the Ilocano dialect fluently.
Although he looks forward
to a possible professional boxing career, his main goal is to finish his
studies and perhaps make it into broadcasting.
"My parents never
went to college, so it is my desire to finish in one," Viloria was quoted
as saying. (Reports from Manila Bulletin March 4, 2000)
He reminds me of Ben
Villaflor also from Hawaii who held the world title longer than any Filipino or
Fil-am. His decision to represent the
US should be none issue but I will let you comment.
Nestor Palugod Enriquez
https://members.tripod.com/philipppines
Coming to America
(1519-2000)