Dennis Laurente, Pacquiao’s pick to be next world champ

MANILA, Philippines – Dennis Laurente is the Philippines’ number one light welterweight boxer. Hand-picked by Manny Pacquiao as the next world champion, Laurente welcomes the challenge and is flattered with the reigning pound-for-pound king’s statements. “Masayang-masaya kasi kahit ganito ako, may edad na, may tiwala pa rin sa akin. Pagtitiyagahan ko. Pagbibihasaan, pagsisikapan ko talaga ng husto," said Laurente when asked about his sentiments. He grew up in Butuan City and moved to Agusan Del Norte and later in Agusan Del Sur, Laurente lived the hard life in the province. “Sobrang hirap namin sa probinsya." “Gustong-gusto ko mag-aral kaso walang pera." Laurente, the eldest of five children, was a farmer before he became a professional boxer. “Panganay ako kaya kailangan ko magsikap para sa pamilya at magulang ko." Laurente struggled as a farmer and that greatly helped him in his chosen career. “Sa pagsasaka kasi palakasan ang trabaho. “Sa pagkain, wala kaming napipili doon kasi sobrang hirap kaya sanay kaming lahat." He experienced the most difficulty during a storm. “Yung pagsasaka namin na inaabot ng malas at minsan aabutin ng bagyo na wala kaming ma-harvest at halos wala na kaming makain kasi nasira ng bagyo." This 31-year old boxer gets his strength from his faith, hard practice, and family. “Iniisip ko na pamilyado akong tao at hindi ako pwedeng magpabaya." His greatest reward in boxing is the support that he gets from his family which ultimately makes him happy. Boxing is closest to his heart. He started young and his name became prominent in the province as he fought from city to city. At 16, he was an amateur boxer and turned pro at 17 in Butuan City. He stopped boxing for more than a year but eventually returned and pursued his passion for the game. Remarkably humble, Laurente is a serious and dedicated boxer. He trains everyday and has outstanding focus. “Number one practice, disiplina sa sarili at iwasan ang pagpupuyat." Laurente is most proud of his fight in Tokyo, Japan where he earned the chance for the Oriental Boxing Pacific Federation (OPBF) title. Though he lost that match, against Chikashi Inada of Japan, Laurente managed to enter the world rankings. Laurente’s latest fight was against the previously undefeated Marvin Cordova last May 2 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Cordova was also Pacquiao’s former sparring partner and Laurente was proud to beat him. “Ako ang naka-break ng record nya 20-0. May dungis sya dahil sa akin." Laurente admits that he still has a long way to go to achieve Pacquiao’s success. “Kung ikukumpara sa kanya, nasa baba pa lang ako, sya nasa taas na." Besides Pacquiao, Laurente also idolizes Filipino boxing great Gabriel “Flash" Elorde. He studies all of his tapes and admires Elorde’s impressive skills. In fact, Laurente trains at his gym and is managed by Elorde’s son, Johnny. He dreams of becoming a world champion and to someday enjoy the fruits of his hard work. Plans for his next fight are already on the negotiating table. True to his modest outlook in life, Dennis refused to brag about his achievements. “Hindi ako pwedeng magyabang kasi nanggaling ako sa baba. Kung may konting narating na ako, lalaki na ang ulo ko. Iniisip ko kung ano ako sa dati, ganoon ako sa ngayon." Laurente said he is proud of his Mindanao roots. “Proud na proud ako sa Mindanao kasi doon ako lumaki. Sa Leyte kasi nandun yung mg magulang ko." His hometown shaped him to be a principled man. “ Talagang ma-prinsipyo ang taga-Mindanao. Ayaw ko ng traydor, gusto ko ng prangkahan." Laurente said prayer, practice and discipline are his keys to success. He also has a message to the people in Mindanao. “Maraming salamat. Kahit hindi ko pa narating yung gusto ko, nandyan pa din silang sumusuporta sa akin." Laurente is a strong fighter, in and out of the ring. He earned the right to get the credit that he deserves and is a fine example of a mature and level-headed boxer. He truly has the quality of becoming a next world champion. Relive Laurente’s eighth-round triumph over Cordova on June 14 10:25 a.m. only on GMA Regional TV (TV 7 Cebu, TV 5 Davao, TV 6 Iloilo, TV 10 Dagupan, and TV10 Bacolod). – Tracy Cruz, GMANews.TV