VALLEY BOXING PROMOTER, 4 OF HIS WARDS RECEIVE ELORDE AWARDS CITATIONS

April 1, 2023 Community Billboard

La Trinidad based boxing promoter Darwin Miller Dep-ay, the country’s youngest promoter, has proven his mettle as one of the country’s with four of his wards becoming champions and were
recently honored by the family of one of the icons in said sport. Dep-ay joined four of his wards during the Gabriel “Flash” Elorde Boxing Awards Banquet of Champions ceremony last March 25 at the Okada Manila Grand Ballroom in Paranaque that recognized professional and amateur boxers as well as those behind the prizefighters.

Dep-ay received his awards along with the Ipugo warrior KJ Natulag the WBC ABCO featherweight
champion, Arthur Villanueva, the WBC Asia South bantamweight chamion, Genesis Libranza, the hiliine flyweight champion in 2019 and Ador Torres, the ABF welterweight king last year. Also given recognition is World Boxing Association – Asia and International Boxing Federation – Pan Pacific king Carl Jammes Martin, the latter he took in December last year in La Trindad, Benguet.
It was the resumption of the annual awards started in 2000 by the family of the late legendary world champion due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

With its resumption, the family led by Johnny, one of the late boxer’s seven children, announced its resumption with eight weight division world champion Manny Pacquaio and four weight division king Nonito Donaire given the Special Award for Distinction despite already elevated to the awards Hall of Fame. Seven boxers were named the best of the year headed by 2019, 2020 and 2021 IBF super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas, 2019, 2020 and 2021 WBO bantamweight champion
Johnriel Casimero, 2019 and 2020 IBF minimum weight titleholder Pedro Taduran, 2021 and 2022 IBF minimum weight champion Rene Mark Cuarto, 2022 WBC featherweight champion Mark Magsayo, reigning IBO flyweight champion Dave Apolinario and 2019 and 2021 WBO and WBA
minimum weight champion Vic Saludar.

Also honored were Olymics medalist Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam and Eumir Marcial and the 2021 Southeast Asian boxing medalists. Dep-ay considered 2022 as his banner year when he staged the biggest fight in La Trindad or this part of the country when Martin fought Kongrich Nantapech for the IBF Pan Pacific super bantamweight title where the Ifugao won via a fourth round knockout over the one time world contender. The event was also a celebration of the 88th birthday of Filipino ring legend and a tribute to the matriarch Laura Elorde, the wife of Gabriel, who died peacefully in May 2020 at the Elorde residence in Paranaque City. The first Elorde Awards started in 2000 at the Manila Hotel.

Pigeon Lobien/ABN