The Games and Amusements Board boxing ratings committee, consisting of Chairman Baham Mitra, Commissioner Ed Trinidad, Commissioner Mar Masanguid, officials from GAB boxing division, promoters, managers, and other boxing stakeholders, recently evaluated and released the official boxing ratings for the month of August.
The GAB monthly boxing ratings hailed six Philippine champions; five out of the existing 11 weight divisions remained vacant, but GAB has showed unrelenting focus and dedication in its campaign to fill the vacant titles at the soonest possible time.
GAB rankings committee proclaimed Genesis Libranza of Davao City as Philippine Flyweight (112 lbs) champion, Giovanni Escaner of Parañaque City as the Bantamweight (118 lbs) champion, Mark Anthony Geraldo of Valencia City, Bukidnon as Super-Bantamweight (122 lbs) champion, Roldan Aldea of Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental as Lightweight (135 lbs) champion, Jheritz Chavez of San Pedro, Laguna as Super Lightweight (140 lbs) champion and Jayar Inson of Davao City as Welterweight (147 lbs) champion.
The committee also discussed the schedule for the upcoming bouts in the latter part of the year to select the new PH champions who will fill the five vacant titles, namely: Minimum Weight (105lbs) Division, Light-Flyweight (108 lbs) Division, Super-flyweight (115 lbs) Division, Featherweight (126 lbs) Division and Super-Featherweight (130 lbs) Division.
The Minimumweight division, however, was mandatorily declared vacant by the committee following the success of Pedro Taduran when he captured the International Boxing Federation World Minimumweight Championship last Sept. 7, 2019.
Per Article 20 of the Rules and Regulations governing Professional Boxing in the Philippines, if a title becomes vacant for any reason, GAB may authorize an elimination contest among three leading contenders in the division of the vacant title; the number one contender has the priority to promote the elimination, while the number two has the secondary priority in case there is a waiver on the part of the former; the number three contender who is called the ‘Rider’ in the elimination shall confront whoever will win between contender number 1 and number 2; the winner shall be recognized as the new champion.
“The initial Philippine Championship Belt per division shall be supplied by GAB and the belts will be imported from Thailand. The proceeding title belts will be provided and agreed upon by our [boxing] promoters,” said GAB Chairman Mitra.