PASSI, Iloilo — Ran into a couple of boxing guys who continue to hold a special place in my heart.

Just moments after arriving here following a very short flight from Manila on Thursday, I was exchanging pleasantries with Nonoy Neri, a former Manny Pacquiao training team mainstay.

You see, Neri is here to join a young fighter seeing action in the main event of Manny Pacquiao Presents: Blow-By-Blow at the City of Passi Arena.

Nonoy currently trains and handles leading bantamweight contender Vincent Astrolabio, who is next in line for a crack at the winner of a title fight starring defending World Boxing Council bantamweight champion Alejandro Santiago of Mexico and Japanese pride Junto Nakatani.

Astrolabio had earned the right to challenge the winner of the Santiago vs Nakatani duel following his sensational title eliminator knockout victory in Thailand last year.

"Astrolabio is in top form," Neri told me while we were watching the proceedings at the City Mall where the official weigh-in for Blow-By-Blow was being held.

Astrolabio has been training at a high-level almost non-stop since December.

"First, he was called to help out Marlon Tapales and then now he is with Jerwin Ancajas in Magallanes, Cavite.

Ancajas is scheduled to meet Takuma Inoue for the World Boxing Association diadem on 24 February in Tokyo.

If Ancajas hits paydirt, Astrolabio deserves a bonus.

A few seats away, I chatted with Brix Flores of Cebu City, who runs the Pacing Flores Stable.

Brix is no ordinary trainer.

He brought home a bronze from the 1986 Seoul Asian Games and was once the lead trainer of ex-unified super-bantamweight titlist Marlon Tapales and Malcolm Tunacao, formerly the World Boxing Council's Lord of the Flies.

Asked him if he and his fighter took a fast craft from the Queen City to here in Iloilo given Cebu's proximity.

"We took the plane," Brix said, smiling and looking very amused.

How long was the flight?

"About 30 minutes?"

"Shorter, I guess."

"Yeah."

We both had a hearty laugh.