There have been only 13 of 504 inductees in the International Boxing Hall of Fame from Asia and the list includes four Filipinos. The percentage of Filipinos is less than one percent despite the proliferation of outstanding fighters, promoters and managers.
The enshrined Filipinos are Flash Elorde (inducted in 1993), Pancho Villa (1994), Papa Sarreal (2005) and Manny Pacquiao (2025). Three Filipinos who deserve to be inducted are former world middleweight champion Ceferino Garcia, ‘Thrilla In Manila’ referee Carlos (Sonny) Padilla and referee Bruce McTavish.
Garcia turned pro in 1923 and compiled a record of 120-30-14 with 76 KOs up to 1945. He died in 1981 at 74. The oldest of six children, Garcia was born in Biliran and finished first grade before taking to the streets to do odd jobs. He learned to use the bolo hacking stalks in sugar cane fields, built up muscle as a blacksmith, worked in a bakery and took on all comers in streetfights. Garcia became a full-time prizefighter and was brought to California by his manager Jes Cortez in 1932. He failed in two bids to win the world welterweight crown, losing decisions to Hall of Famers Barney Ross and Henry Armstrong then finally ascended the throne in the middleweight division, stopping another Hall of Famer Fred Apostoli in the seventh round in New York City in 1939.
Garcia was one of only six fighters to hold Armstrong to a standoff and was the first man to floor World War II hero Ross to whom he lost three decisions. In their first encounter, Garcia decked Ross twice in one round, employing his dreaded ‘bolo’ punch. In the book ‘Barney Ross: The Life of a Jewish Fighter,’ author Douglas Century recounted how Garcia was close to scoring a KO. ‘Ross stumbled back to his corner and in at least one telling of the tale, Art Winch struck a match, holding the flame to Barney’s bare back to get the fighter to respond to the standard questions,’ wrote Century. ”What round is it?’ Barney stared mutely into his spit pail. ‘End of the first,’ he said at long last. ‘Barn, it’s the fifth.’ Fighting on street instinct and sheer muscle memory, Barney hung in for a decision but his face and body were battered.’
No Filipino fighter has won more bouts than Garcia who made his first title defense at the open-air Rizal Football Stadium before over 40,000 fans who witnessed his 13th round KO of Glen Lee in 1939 with Jack Dempsey as referee. President Manuel Quezon was at ringside and sat beside Garcia’s mother Pascuala Pieras. How could the Hall of Fame ignore the only Filipino world middleweight titlist ever, the man who dethroned a Hall of Famer, held Hammerin’ Hank to a draw and floored another Hall of Famer twice in the first fight of a trilogy?
Padilla, 91, worked nearly 70 world title fights in a career that spanned almost 40 years. In 1975, he was the third man in the ring with Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier at the Araneta Coliseum. His performance in the ‘Thrilla In Manila’ led to world-wide acclaim and he wound up with big-ticket assignments involving legends like Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Tommy Hearns, Mike Tyson and Pacquiao. Surely, he deserves a place in the Hall of Fame.
Lastly, McTavish logged over 150 world title bouts and was named WBC Referee of the Year thrice. For over 14 years, he was the main lecturer in referee seminars at the WBC Convention. His assignments brought him all over the world, including Siberia and the Klong Perm Central Prison for Women in Bangkok. He worked Pacquiao’s last appearance in Manila against Oscar Larios in 2006. McTavish passed away last July at 84.