French sends Chavez packing

Ronald Chavez Jr. joined the growing list of eliminated Filipinos as he bowed to Makan Traore of France in the Last 16 of the 2025 World Boxing Championships men’s 70-kilogram division early Tuesday (Manila time) at the M&S Arena in Liverpool, England.

The 26-year-old Chavez, son of Olympic boxer Ronald Chavez and legendary volleyball player Nene Ybañez-Chavez, suffered a unanimous decision loss to the 24-year-old French boxer, who won a bronze medal in the European Games in Poland in 2023.

Traore gained the nods of all five judges, 30-27, to advance to the quarterfinals of this prestigious tournament.

Chavez is the fourth Filipino to suffer elimination.

Carlo Paalam, a two-time Olympic medalist, bowed to Junior Alcantara-Reyes of the Dominican Republic in the Round of 32 of the men’s 55-kg class while Junmilardo Ogayre surrendered to Blibars Zhexen of Kazakhstan via unanimous decision in the Round of 32 of the men’s 60-kg division.

Mark Ashley Fajardo also fell to Evin Alliev of Ukraine in the Round of 32 of the men’s 65-kg division, leaving Riza Pasuit and Jay Bryan Baricuatro as the only Filipinos standing in this tourney that serves as one of the national team’s warmup events for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand this December.

Baricuatro is fighting Martin Molina Salvador of Spain in the Last 16 of the men’s 50-kg division for a spot in the quarterfinals at press time.

Despite their sour performance, the Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines is hardly worried.

“I’ll be happy if they win a bronze medal,” said ABAP president Ricky Vargas, emphasizing his conservative expectations on the Filipino boxers.