Web Design and web forms- If you have forms on your website, it is important to apply good web design techniques on your forms for better usability. Once in a while, we will come upon a web form that is just too difficult to fill that we choose to skip altogether. Forms are useful for website owners to gather information that they need from their users. In order to effectively use a form to help you get the data you want, you must first put your users first when it comes to creating and designing your web forms. Here are some tips on how you can improve and make better web forms that your users can fill up with ease.

Good Web Design will use Shorter Forms

Shorter forms are better than longer forms. Most people who surf the internet have the intention of getting more information rather than giving out information. The amount of time that they are willing to use to give information is very little. With that said, your users will skip the entire form if they see a long and detailed form waiting for them to fill up. Compared to a shorter form, people are usually more forgiving and will spend that few minutes to provide you the information. Hence a good web design will incorporate smaller forms. If possible, you may want to spend some time to prioritise your form and pick some of the top information that you need while removing the less important information.

Good Web Design will use Required Fields Options

A form is useless when it doesn’t capture the important data that you need. You may want to consider setting some of the fields on your form to be required so that it is necessary for your user to fill in before they submit. This way you can capture essential information and make your web design work.

Web Design & Field Tabs

Users usually use the Tab button to move to the next field. If you are designing a form, ensure that you have set the tabbing so that flows smoothly through the form fields than jumping all over the form. With the tabbing set, your users will have a better user experience when they fill up the form on your webpage. Field tabs are crucial to a excellent web design

Good Web Design Will Provide Help and Guidance

If your forms contain fields that are not usually found in common forms, then include a short and simple guide for your users so that they know how to fill it in correctly. By providing the guide, you can ensure that your users will provide you the data you need in the format that you want so that you don’t have to manually make the changes later on your database.

Good Web Design Incorporates Feedback For Corrections

When your user happens to miss a step or a field in your form that is required, you should prompt them and provide immediate feedback so that they can make the correction and resubmit. If you don’t provide feedback, your users will have to guess where they have gone wrong which will take a lot of time to figure out their mistakes. This can also result them skipping the form entirely because they simply can’t identify their mistakes.

I know that the title got your attention. Everyone knows and respects the Major League Baseball players like Derek Jeter, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez. Many parents dream of having their little league player growing up to play college baseball, becoming a college all-American, going to Omaha and play in the College World Series, being drafted in the 1st round of the MLB draft, signing for a 2.5 million dollar signing bonus, being voted to the MLB All-star team, going 3 for 4 in the All-Star Game, having their team win the pennant, wining the league championship, playing in the MLB World Series, leading MLB in RBI, Homeruns, Stolen Bases, Pitching Wins and also being selected as the Cy Young award winner, being named MVP of the MLB World Series, signing a deal with Nike Shoe for 2 million a year to endorse their new line of baseball shoes, and finally getting voted into Cooperstown Hall of Fame on his first vote.  That is the ultimate dream of a baseball parent. But, do you know and realize how small the actual percentage is of little league baseball parents that ever see that dream come true? Now, I need to get to the point. Just helping your kid become a solid little league player that loves and enjoys the game of baseball should be the goal of every baseball parent. Here I discuss what I feel are the major requirements for big time baseball success at every level.

Odds are stacked against the little league baseball player and the youth baseball player when it comes to playing college and major league baseball. Less than 1 out every 15 kids playing little league and youth baseball ever make their high school baseball’s varsity team. It is a known fact that less than 10.1 percent of all high school varsity baseball players go on to play college baseball. That figure includes both scholarship and walk-on players. Just 1 out of every 936 high school players is drafted to Pro Baseball each year. What all of this adds up to is this statement that says it all. Less than 1 out of every 15,000 little league or youth baseball players ever make a MLB baseball team. In, fact the percentage may be much lower when you consider the fact that less than 20,000 players have played MLB baseball in its 130+ year history. Chances are good, if your child is playing Little League, Dixie Youth, Babe Ruth or Cal Ripkin baseball, you are expecting your child to try out for the high school baseball team one day. What does it take to make the high school team? The main three things are body build, playing skill, and pure luck.  

THE IMPORTANCE OF BODY BUILD IN BASEBALL

I know that many of you are saying “Body Build” is not very important in baseball. I know and realize that size and height are less important in baseball than basketball and football. You do not have to block or tackle to play baseball. Baseball is not a game played in the rafters of a gym. But, “Body Build” is not all about body size to me. When I talk about “Body build”, I mean more than height and size. Body build to me includes all of the results of a player’s work and training to build strength, stamina, endurance, power and speed. The players that dominate at each level are the ones that have the dominate bat speed, dominate pitch velocity, and the faster feet.   

THE IMPORTANCE OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT IN BASEBALL

The next important key to becoming a great high school, college or major league baseball player is playing skill development. If you are going to get to the next level, you have got to learn to play the game! Personal instruction by a baseball hitting coach, baseball pitching coach, and great baseball instruction and teaching of baseball fundamentals, early in youth baseball, are so important to baseball skill building. Many advanced players today rely on baseball indoor hitting facilities, year round baseball training and travel baseball that’s played all year. These things help, but the main thing is for a player and his parent to take an interest in the game and become students of the game. You have got to do your baseball homework if you are going to maximize baseball skill development. Baseball homework is that extra work you do in the off-season and at home year round. Your baseball homework many include a backyard pitching mound, a backyard batting cage, baseball training equipment, or one-on-one training with a baseball instructor.  

THE IMPORTANCE OF LUCK IN BASEBALL

Many people do not believe in luck. They say luck has nothing to do with winning or success. They say luck is made in practice time. Many others have a different opinion, they say that it is better to be lucky than to be good. I have a different attitude toward luck. I know that we are all lucky to get a chance to grow up in such a great country and to play such a great game as baseball, but I am talking about a different kind of luck a player must have to succeed in baseball. A player must be lucky and get top quality coaching early in life! Fate is a better word for what I am talking about. It is good luck that a player gets chosen on a little league team with a coach that takes special interest in a player and dedicates a great amount of time and energy in making that player better. It is good luck for a youth player to have a parent or coach that knows how to motivate and inspire that kid to keep working and practicing to get better.  Players are extremely lucky to have the right inspiration and instruction during their childhood playing days. The coach they have may be a streak of good or bad luck depending on the attitude and competence level of the coach.  Getting the right coach is a great stroke of luck!   Yes, I believe body build, playing skill and luck are the 3 keys to high school baseball success. Good luck to your child and his or her team. Happy Hitting, Coach Nick.

From the sugar mill towns of ‘San Pedro de Macrois’,and ‘La Romana’, to fields all across the D.R., young, poor kids dream of someday playing major league baseball and bringing financial security to their families. The D.R. has a passion for baseball far and above anywhere else.

For Dominican Republic baseball, from late October to January, when the sugar mills are slow, a baseball season is born. It is the big leagues for Dominican ball players who dream of making it big. It’s where their fantasies can come true. To play well and to be seen by major league scouts. It is also a time when current major leaguers can come home and play in their winterball season.

Since the 50’s when Ozzie Virgil made Dominican Republic baseball famous by playing in the major leagues, we have seen more and more players make the transition and do it well. The Alou brothers, and currently, Sammie Sosa. Who could be bigger? Manny Ramirez, Pedro Martinez, and more.

When the ten year war (1868-1878) in Cuba brought turmoil to the country, many Cubans fled their country and migrated to the D.R. bringing with them the game called “Baseball” or “Beisbol. Dominicans were quick to learn the game and soon organized teams.

The national sport and passion of Dominican Republic is baseball or “Beisbol” as the Dominicans call it. No matter where you go on the island you will find a baseball stadium/park, even in the poorest of towns. Today more than one in six players in the American league is from Latin America, the majority of them coming from the towns located on the southeastern coast Dominican Republic.

Each year, from October to January, fans of the Dominican Republic Baseball support their favorite team. Games are held at the Quisqueya Stadium in Santo Domingo and at stadiums in Santiago, San Pedro de Macoris, and La Romana. If you are in the D.R. during this time, not only can you take in the beautiful beaches, but you have to take in a ball game. The passion for this sport is like no other for Dominicans all over.

WHAT TEAMS PLAY IN THE DOMINICAN?

Leon del Escogido Santo Domingo Estrellas Orientales San Pedro de Macorís

Azucareros del Este La Romana

Aguilas Cibaeñas Santiago

Pollos Nacionales San Francisco de Macorís

Tigers del Licey Santo Domingo

When the teams finish their season, the winner will vie for the Caribbean World Series, among other Latin countries. Not only is the season incredible, teams also feature American ballplayers that are trying to make it to the big leagues. When an organization has a top prospect and they want him to gain more experience, they will send him to a winterball league to hone his skills. So you will be seeing incredible baseball with incredible players and incredible fans!

Even in 2015, the back and forth posturing is still frustratingly prevalent in the industry.

Boxing is one of the oldest sports there is and as such carries a lot of history, baggage and in some senses, old school ways.

There are many unfair and unwanted stereotypes associated with the sport regarding things like corruption and fixing, which in my view are totally inaccurate, uneducated and prejudice slurs pointed at the sport in today’s time of 2015.

I can’t comment on how things were in the past but what I can comment on is today’s time and since I got started out in boxing journalism over the last few years.

The sport is now run essentially by global TV networks, sports management companies and sports promotional companies. In 2015, you just would not get away with mass corruption in any sport anymore – you’d be found out.

I’m not saying that nothing untoward never happens in the sport, that would be naive. But in my opinion the same can be said about any professional sport or any professional business for that matter.

When money comes into the equation, there is always going to be unscrupulous individuals looking to make a quick buck or take short cuts.

One thing that I do not still exists in the game today is boxing politics. In this article I will not name any names for the purpose of fairness, balance and objectivity.

In a time where the sport is really flourishing again and on is well on its way back to mainstream media for a variety of reasons, including major TV broadcasters investing in the sport again and the Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao super fight been made, we are still continuing to see a lot of big fights not getting made – which is highly frustrating.

A well known observer within the game recently defined the modern day boxing landscape quite well I thought, “It is annoying that the big fights we want are the ones we are least likely to see. Welcome to modern world of do what you like boxing”. How right he was.

In today’s time you still have promoters quarreling, that hasn’t change. What they quarrel over has though. Back in the day boxers were almost slaves to promoters’ less than fair contracts. That’s all changed now.

The promoters work for the fighters today and are more motivated by money than ever, due to arguably there being less money in the business for them compared to what they used to be able to exploit out of boxers years ago.

Today’s boxing politics are dominated by terms and arguments like “A side vs B side”, “we bring more money to the table then you do”, “Your fighter doesn’t do the numbers on pay per view that ours does”, etc.

Professional boxing has always been a money business, but now more so than ever in my opinion. You are seeing new age promoters and managers coming through at the moment, in the time of social media and almost public negotiation.

This has been meshed in with a lot of the old school key players’ less than willing nature to accept modern day technologies like social media and the internet.

Alas, they’ve had no choice at this stage but often times their egos do not allow them to engage with promoters and power players in the game who come from this newer, fresher, more transparent, technology drive generation – where the customer (the fight fan) expects a better product than ever before (the best boxers fighting the best boxers).

The sport of boxing is going through a lot of changes globally at the moment. Politics will always be there unfortunately, that’s just human nature in any business.

But with the way technology and the internet continues to influence the sport and indeed all sport, I believe the transparency of these politics will only continue to be brought to the surface more and more in the coming years.

Boxing has no choice but to change due to the many other combat sports products out there embracing new technologies and more importantly – putting on the best fights.

It will though. Boxing has been around for a long time and in my opinion, will return to it’s glory days before this decade is out.

A bigger opponent can inflict much more damage than a smaller guy because his blows are stronger and heavier… that’s kind of obvious. If he is untrained and so are you the bigger man has the natural advantage and in most cases will win. Same goes in most cases for a Big Good Man against a Small Good Man, the bigger guy probably wins. Think of a Lightweight fighter against a Heavyweight fighting – all things being equal the Heavyweight wins. So what can we learn from this if you’re a smaller guy?

Firstly if you are the smaller guy you MUST be smarter in a fight and have MUCH more skills than the bigger man.

It’s not enough to even be equal in skill; you must be much better than the bigger man otherwise you lose and probably lose badly. To take away the edge and advantage from the bigger man you need to possess much better fighting techniques otherwise you are probably walking around hoping the next big guy doesn’t pick a fight with me….and that’s not a nice feeling to have.

You can train to deal with a bigger attacker utilizing your strengths; you can stay on the outside of a bigger opponent and counter punch using speed as your weapon. You need to train good footwork, head movement and timing your attacks for this fighting strategy.

Watching Manny Pacquiao the legendary Philippines boxer demonstrates this perfectly maximizing his strengths of lateral movement and quickness with fast hard combinations.

You can learn to avoid his bigger strikes and get to the inside and use hooks to the head and body to defeat a bigger guy.

To fight using this type of strategy you’ll need to train bobbing and weaving and staying close to your opponent and then finishing with hard hooks to the head and body. Mike Tyson was a perfect exponent of this strategy, not being a big Heavyweight and having to fight bigger men he mastered this strategy to become one of the great fighters.

You can also take away a bigger opponents balance with grappling holds and wrestling pins.

To utilize this strategy your practicing closing the distance on your opponent to avoid his punches then get in the clinch and look to take your opponent down with a throw or takedown technique and then finish your opponent with strikes or submission such as a chose hold.

If you are interested in losing weight or maintaining your current healthy weight, you may have heard of the CSIRO Diet. If you have a weight loss goal, the CSIRO Diet should also become an important diet plan for you to consider. This diet is an easy and cost effective way to maintain a healthy weight.

But did you know that this diet, also commonly referred to as the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet, like all other diets, must be followed properly to see success? Well if you didn't know, it is now time for you to find out.

Why? Because properly following a diet plan that's sensible and based on research as well, will result in helping with weight loss.

What is the CSIRO Diet?

The CSIRO Diet is a high protein diet that was developed in Australia. Dr. Manny Noakes and Dr. Peter Clifton, scientific researchers at CSIRO Human Nutrition, wrote the popular Total Wellbeing Diets books. As for the program itself, it was developed by a team of qualified scientists. Their program has helped countless men and women lose weight and maintain it with one of the easiest to implement diet plans.

This diet plan relies on the regular consumption of foods high in protein, as well as a medium level of carbohydrates. Protein and carbohydrates, the right types that is, both play effective roles in weight loss.

As with any healthy eating plan, a high intake of vegetables, lean red meats, poultry, and fish is recommended. In fact, numerous recipes and meal plans have emerged, including roast pork and vegetables, salmon leek with asparagus, and much more.

Tasty and easy to prepare breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and desserts are just one of the many reasons why this diet is preferred, as well as successful.

What this means is that this diet is more than just your average fad diet to hit bookstore shelves. It is a safe, easy, and effective way to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.

How the CSIRO Diet works:

So what is it about this particular diet that makes it possible to lose weight and maintain it?

Diets that are high in protein and low in fat have a number of benefits. Clinical studies performed by CSIRO Human Nutrition have shown that foods high in protein and low in fat enhance weight loss. During weight loss, they also help to preserve muscle. And muscle mass means your metabolism is higher, which results in more fat burning.

Protein translates into energy, giving many followers the ability to stay fit and active. In fact, these diet guidelines emphasizes a proper diet combined with exercise as the ultimate way to achieve your weight loss goals.

So in conclusion, you now know that the CSIRO Diet, which relies on high protein food and the medium consumption of carbohydrates, is a safe and effective way to lose weight.

If you really want to achieve your weight loss goals, improve your physical appearance and your overall health and wellbeing, you need to start eating meals that fit into the diet plan. So go for it, find out more about this diet; the sooner you do, the sooner you will start to achieve your health and weight loss goals.

While you can never be a Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, you can still derive many fitness benefits from the sport that has made this boxer a phenomenal hit not only in his country but all over the world as well. Boxing is a great workout because it is not only about punching. In fact, for a boxer to be able to hit a knockout, he has to develop core strength first. Boxing also entails a lot of footwork making it the perfect exercise for lower body strength.

One of the basic equipment that you need to have if you want to punch your way to health is of course, every boxer’s favorite, a punching bag. Weighing as much as 90 pounds, a sand bag can develop your power punches for upper body strength and cardiovascular conditioning. It is also a great workout for those seeking to lose weight. Depending on the intensity of your workout, an hour of constant punching can burn as many as 300 to 400 calories. Putting all your stresses in a punching bag is an effective and harmless way of channeling frustration and anger.

To get the most out of your workout, your punch should emanate from your legs, travel to your core before effectively culminating in your fist for that power punch. In essence, one punch utilizes your entire body. Position yourself for the power punch by first stepping toward the bag when you are about to throw the punch. Change the weight to the other side of your body as your arm moves goes for the blow.

To develop more power to your jabs, make sure that your shoulder directs your fist to the punching bag. Practice hitting the bag with left hooks and uppercuts. Do these vigorously for three minutes at a time without stopping. After the three minutes are up, rest for about a minute before going at it again. This will not only practice your power punches but will help you build stamina and endurance as well.

Incorporate footwork into your jabs. The more you move, the more you are going to burn fats. Strive for five minutes of nonstop moderate-intensity boxing with only a couple of minutes rest for each interval. Do this for twenty minutes and see your fats burn away.

Aside from the physical benefits, boxing for fitness also develops confidence. While you may not dream of using your punches for any functional purpose except for physical fitness, the knowledge alone that you can punch is enough to increase your self-confidence. It’s also a workout that has psychological benefits. It’s not healthy to vent out your annoyance to someone or something. Not only is that counterproductive, it ruins things and relationships in the process. It also harms people. Punching a sand bag is definitely the better alternative. You won’t get into any fights and the footwork and jabs will stimulate the release of endorphins which will give you a better take on things after your session.

If you are a beginner in the sport, check out your nearest gym so you can have an instructor teach you the basics on stance and proper technique. When you have these down pat, then you can punch your way to health. Using a punching bag, that is.

Beauty YouTubers are mostly known and often referred to as “Beauty Gurus”, “Beauty Vloggers”, and/or “Beauty Influencers.” They are typically young women and men who create posts and videos all about cosmetics, fashion, make-ups and other beauty related topics on YouTube.

There are more than 45,000 YouTube channels that specialize in fashion and beauty-related content, videos about makeup tutorials, cosmetic/skin care hauls, beauty recommendations and other more topics only on YouTube Community. Each month, there are over 50 million people who watch over 1.6 million minutes of consumer-created fashion and beauty videos on YouTube.

Some Beauty Influencers expand their career in the online industry and earn huge sums just by utilizing their channels as a way to branch out and utilize it for business purposes which are also executed through collaborations with some cosmetic or clothing brands. They generally fall into their designated categories like a product review, makeup tutorials, hauls and personality clips. Other YouTubers choose to abide by the simple uploading of videos as a hobby and did not after how much money they could make with their videos.

Here’s a list of most powerful influencers or let us say Beauty Goddess in the world of YouTube

Zoe Sugg

Born Brit which is also known as Zoella on YouTube. She started broadcasting from her childhood bedroom, her “hauls” or the web parlance showing off cosmetics purchases. Now, she has over 11.6 million YouTube subscribers and has a bestselling line of beauty products at U.K high street chain Superdrug at the age of 27. Her first novel, “Girl Online” broke first-week sales records according to Nielsen BookScan.

Michelle Phan

Phan’s name is a byword for influencer-turned-entrepreneur a decade after posting her first YouTube Video. She is now the co-founder of subscription cosmetics box Ipsy, which was valued at upwards of $500 million in 2015. She has stopped posting sponsored content as her business has grown, she quickly learned that it would not be sustainable for long since viewers prefer authenticity over ads.

Huda Kattan

While working in a finance job, the Dubai-based entrepreneur started blogging in 2010. Seven years later, she and her two sisters oversee a beauty empire that includes false lashes favored by Kim Kardashian and also sold in vending machines with Kattan’s face splashed on the side. Her makeup line is sold in Sephora.

Nikkie de Jager

Since she uploaded her first video in 2008, the Dutch makeup artist has accrued an enviable following which had reached over 7.2 million on Instagram. In March 2017, she debuted a collaboration with professional line Ofra, including liquid lipsticks which she had designed and a highlighter palette.

Shannon Harris

Known online as “Shaaanxo” started vlogging in 2009 to fill what she saw as a void. “I was obsessed with watching YouTubers from the USA and could never find anyone from New Zealand or Australia,” said by the Kiwi digital star. Eight years later she has now a beauty brand, xoBeauty which sells lashes and brushes.

Jeffree Star

Jeffree has been building online following since the days of MySpace. Today, his YouTube channel boasts over 4 million subscribers and a recent video announced a collaboration with fellow Top Influencers list member Manny Gutierrez.

Kandee Johnson

She started blogging in 2008 and then uploaded her first vlog the following year using her grandparents’ ancient video camera. Soon, she was hosting ‘glaminars’ or beauty and business seminars from her YouTube channel.

Manny Gutierrez

The digital star who is known online as MannyMUA was considering medical school when he started focusing his attention on social media. Now, he is on of a rising crop of top male makeup aficionados. He first gained a following on Instagram, then took to YouTube at his followers’ request. Now, he is an ambassador for Maybelline with a total audience upwards of 7 million among his many partnerships.

Christen Dominique

Busy mom and a full-time student with a full-time job, that is how Christen started posting to YouTube in 2009. Now, with an audience upwards of 4 million across all platforms, she is now partnered with the likes of L’Oreal, Sephora, and Urban Decay.

Wayne Gross

The British-born makeup artist has been growing his YouTube channel since 2009. At the year 2012, a tutorial on how to highlight and contour like Kim Kardashian has accrued over 11 million views to date and helped propel him to the big-time among beauty influencers.

From professional makeup artists to amateurs reviewing drugstore buys on camera. Today, these influencers had reached 135,000,000 followers, likes and subscribers online.

Nonito Donaire was born in the Philippines, and went to the same school as world champion Manny Pacquiao. He joined his father in Los Angeles, CA in 1993. Donaire was actually a frail child, with asthma problems that caused him to be bullied at school. He began boxing at a local gym when he was only 11-years-old. He hated boxing at times, but stuck with it to earn the approval of his father.

Donaire has been married since 2008, after a private Carmel, CA ceremony. He and his wife Rachel Marcial had an official church wedding in 2011 in the Philippines. His wife is a member of his boxing team, as is her father. Donaire likes to please people who are always there for him.

When he was an amateur, Donaire won three American championships at the national level. In 1999, he won the International Junior Olympics. He turned pro in 2001 and his original monthly salary was $1500. He went on a winning streak that lasted for more than ten years. Donaire won a title in the regional flyweight class in 2002. He won the NABF Super Flyweight title in 2006.

In the flyweight division, he won the IBF title with a KO in the fifth round of previously undefeated Vic Darchinyan, in 2007. He defended the title against Luis Maldonado with a TKO in the eighth round. He left his promoter, Gary Shaw, in 2008, due to fewer fights being scheduled than they had agreed upon. In addition, Shaw had not properly disclosed the revenue won from fights.

Donaire retained his IBF title in 2008, when he had a TKO of Moruti Mthalane. Donaire had an asthma attack during sparring for the fight, but his father made him spar 12 rounds anyway, not knowing the cause. He went to the hospital with bronchitis, and was diagnosed with asthma, as well. He broke ties with his father after that day.

In 2010, Donaire would challenge Wladimir Sidorenko, to fight for the WBC Americas Bantamweight Championship, which was vacant at the time. He knocked Sidorenko down three times, and was the first person that stopped him. In 2011, he took the WBO and WBC Bantamweight titles, and beat Omar “El Huracan” Narvaez in New York City. He had wanted to knock the other fighter out, but failed to do so.

In 2012, Donaire fought Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr. and won by split decision, capturing the WBO Super Bantamweight title. Vazquez could not match the speed and punching ability of Donaire. He knocked Vazquez down in the ninth round. Vasquez could not hurt Donaire after that point. They made it through the last round, even with exciting flurries in the later rounds. Donaire won in a split decision. He is only the second Asian to have won championships in four separate divisions.

Manny Pacquiao has done a lot for his country. His boxing prowess has brought fame to his country and has made him a hero among his countrymen. His fame, charisma and talent have also brought new opportunities for his fellow Filipino boxers. International boxing promoters has now begun to put Filipino boxers into their international boxing promotions. As a result, the boxing talents of Filipino boxers became exposed to the world and have led to the revival of Pinoy boxing.

This revival has culminated in the International boxing promotion that has been named as the boxing “World Cup”. This event is projected as a yearly event that will be done between two competing countries that are considered as boxing powerhouses. This year the competition was between perennial boxing powerhouse Mexico, and the Philippines, the new boxing hotbed. Mexico was the defending boxing “World Cup” champion as it defeated Thailand in the first match up between leading boxing nations.

The Philippine boxing team won five of the six bouts at stake at this year’s “World Cup” of Boxing held at the Arco Arena. The grand boxing event was held in front of a highly-partisan crowd of 4,469 screaming fans from both countries. Pinoy boxing has solidified its position as the world’s boxing superpower by snatching the title away from long-reigning Mexico.

Gerry Penalosa contributed the biggest win when he wrested the WBO bantam title from Mexican champ Jhonny Gonzalez with a come-from-behind knockout win. The Pinoy boxing star hit Gonzales with a paralyzing body shot in the seventh round. However, it was Z Gorres who sealed the Filipinos’ victory. He stopped former WBC champ Eric Ortiz with an eighth-round technical knockout to earn the fourth win for the Philippine boxing team.

Diosdado Gabi of Davao City was the first winner for Team Philippines by earning an eight-round unanimous decision over Mexico’s Jose Angel Beranza. Michael Domingo then followed it up with a six-round masterful unanimous win over previously unbeaten Miguel Roman. The Domingo-Roman bout was considered one of the most exciting fights of the night and really excited the crowd for the main event.

Cebu’s AJ ‘Bazooka’ Banal completed the five victories needed to secure the World Cup trophy by stopping Jorge Cardenas in the third round of their scheduled six-rounder. The Philippine boxing prospect displayed great power and skill as he repeatedly hit his Mexican opponent with flushed shots culminating with an explosive counter that dropped Cardenas. Cardenas seems to have twisted his knee preventing him from standing up and continuing the fight. However, the Pinoy boxing team did not sweep all six matches as Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista experienced a very painful first round KO defeat at the hands of Daniel Ponce de Leon.

The Philippines’ victory at this year’s Boxing “World Cup” will only fuel the desire of Filipino boxers to train harder. Now that the door is open to them, they need to capitalize by doing their best in world boxing championships. Hopefully, the excitement they bring will help revive boxing and provide honor to Philippine boxing.