In springtime nearly 30 years ago in Las Vegas, Edito “Ala” Villamor went to one of the MGM Grand’s cage cashiers to encash his check.
Just a few hours earlier, he had battled the magnificent Mexican Ricardo Lopez for the chance to wrest the World Boxing Council (WBC) strawweight crown but was denied when he got knocked out in the eighth round.
Accompanied by his manager, Cebu businessman Tony Aldeguer and the late trainer Juanito Ablaca, Villamor, who was then 25, handed over the check to the lady at the cashier and waited for about a minute.
A few moments later, the cashier gave him a wad and Villamor, a first-timer in the United States, carefully counted the bills, his hands trembling a bit as Aldeguer, Ablaca and this writer looked on.
The total amounted to $30,000, a big amount at that time since he was Lopez’s mandatory challenger.
Aldeguer told him in a soft voice that the entire purse was all his.
Villamor then sobbed and appeared like a kid who had been scolded for doing something mischievous.
He had to be consoled by Aldeguer, whose boxing factory in Cebu City produced several world champions later.
What Villamor did earlier was something not to be forgotten.
Ranged against Lopez, who was considered invincible at that time, Villamor fought valiantly but the Mexican proved to be too good for the native of Mandaue City, who crashed to the floor after taking a perfectly-timed left uppercut.
What was even more gallant, more noble and dignified was what he did to the money that was awarded to him for the Lopez title shot.
“That money went to the education of my siblings and some of it I used to buy a jeepney (that I later drove),” Villamor told DAILY TRIBUNE from his homebase in Cebu.
As it turns out, the Lopez fight was his last professional bout since his left hand injury kept on recurring, preventing him from staging a comeback.
Good thing that Villamor had investments even before he fought his last.
“After my sixth pro fight in Hong Kong (in October 1989), I bought a lot,” he said, noting that it was Aldeguer who advised him to be careful with his earnings.
Then almost three years later, when he vied unsuccessfully for the world title for the first time in Bangkok, Villamor bought a house even after being stopped by Ratanpol Sor Vorapin of Thailand in less than two rounds.
“I listened to Sir Ala (Antonio Lopez Aldeguer) because he is a successful businessman,” he said, stressing that after his boxing days, he worked as an assistant auditor at one of Aldeguer’s businesses around the Queen City of the South.
Hey may not be as financially potent like some of the country’s illustrious former fighters who retired with tons and tons of money in the bank but Villamor has enough to keep himself and his family afloat.
In fact, he also operates a boxing gym and a successful eatery apart from serving as matchmaker and consultant of the Bohol-based PMI Boxing, a fast-rising promotional outfit manned by lawyer Floriezyl Echavez Podot.
“This gym is home to young boys who have big dreams, dreams of becoming world champions,” Villamor, now 54, said, referring to over a hundred of boys who show up for training.
“I share their dreams because I used to be one of them,” said Villamor, who was a three-time National Youth champion and Palarong Pambansa silver medalist and contemporary of ex-amateur stars Roel Velasco and Elias Recaido.
But in the pro ranks, Villamor only trains two boxers: Reymart Tagacanao and Christian Balunan.
The world-rated Tagacanao is the reigning World Boxing Association Asia super-flyweight champion while Balunan is the World Boxing Organization Asia-Pacific Youth minimumweight ruler, who is likewise ranked in the world.
PMI Boxing is fully behind them, according to Villamor, who believes it is a matter of time before he calls the shots for the country’s next big ring star, something that he had wanted to become.
“Even when I was told that I could not use my hand anymore, I attempted to train and stage a comeback. But one day, I hurt my hand again when I hit the heavy bag during a training session. That’s when it finally dawned on me that it is really over.”
When this happened, Villamor had become a volunteer traffic enforcer and he felt one day that he missed boxing a lot.
Still, Villamor remained in the loop and began working as a trainer for ALA Boxing Club, an opportunity that saw him travel back to America repeatedly while accompanying boxers and serving as their driver as well.
When ALA Boxing Club decided to call it quits, he put up Villamor Boxing so he could remain in the sport that he truly loves.
With an ever-supportive family watching his back, Villamor seems to be on the right track towards realizing one of his dreams.
And once that happens, Villamor is going to look back on that particular day in Las Vegas when he almost made it big, with Aldeguer comforting him and telling him everything’s going to be all right.