Nostalgia hits Pacquiao; Pepito Masangkay wins PBF belt

MANILA, Philippines–Manny Pacquiao took a trip down memory lane over the weekend when he graced the latest staging of Blow-By-Blow in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro.

It was an unforgettable trip by boxing’s only eight-division champion, who, on January 22, 1995, made his professional debut in Sablayan, winning a four-round unanimous decision over local fighter Titing Ignacio.

Article continues after this advertisement

Two months later, Pacquiao was back in Sablayan and he beat Pinoy Montejo of Cebu also in four rounds.

READ: Blow-By-Blow: Alvin Lagumbay, Pepito Masangkay fight for PBF belt

“This place holds a special place in my heart,” Pacquiao, who was at ringside and seen by a big crowd, said in his return visit to the municipality that played a pivotal role in his meteoric rise.

While it was Pacquiao that everyone in the venue wanted to see, the main event saw Pepito Masangkay stop Alvin Lagumbay for the Philippine Boxing Federation super lightweight crown.

Article continues after this advertisement

Masangkay improved his record to 7-2 with five knockouts while Lagumbay dropped to 14-9-1 with 12 knockouts.

READ: Melvin Jerusalem dominates Mexican challenger to retain WBC title

Blow-By-Blow was revived by Pacquiao, the program’s most accomplished fighter, in November 2022 with the mission of providing Filipino boxers a venue to showcase their wares.

Last year, it staged its first world title fight with Filipino champion Melvin Jerusalem successfully defending his WBC minimumweight crown with a dominant victory over Mexican mandatory challenger Luis Castillo four months ago.