In a time of teeming distractions and wayward youth, sixteen-year-old Jason Pagara stood a league apart. He started donning gloves at age 8 in Leyte (Philippines) as he played boxing with neighborhood friends. At age 14, when the young boys his age would rather go for non-productive escapades with a gang of friends, he turned pro and made his first step into achieving his dreams—a world championship crown..
Boxing flows in the veins of Jason Pagara. At a very young age, he learned to love the game while watching his father Reynaldo demolished a fighter in the ring. The passion grew as grew in physique and watched Filipino warriors–Manny Pacquiao, Boom Bautista, and AJ Banal—took the limelight as they conquered foreign warriors, one fighter at a time.
He rang his pro boxing debut with a unanimous win against starter Tata Tadena in Jagna (Bohol, Philippines), a far off place from his home in Upper Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City (Philippines). Under the skillful hand of manager Mario Geronico, he took his youth to the max and stormed the local boxing scene with relentless victories. He took the Philippine Boxing Federation lightweight crown from Rey Anton Olarte August 2007 by unanimous decision, and drove the year with amazing nine fights in a row. He even fought two fights in a month for two separate months, and still managed to defeat veteran and highly-rated prizefighters the likes of Dondon Lapuz, Pedro Malco, Glen Masicampo, and Melvin Ayudtud.
He has campaigned in the islands of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, facing diverse foes from Talibon (Bohol) to Bukidnon and Manila. He took his only loss in a rematch against Rey Anton Olarte late last year in a six-round unanimous decision of a non-title game.
In a career of barely a year, Pagara became the youngest phenom to ever join the reputed ALA Gym. He debutes this month with a face off for the WBO Youth lightweight title against reigning king Indonesian Heri Andrianto, his first non-Filipino opponent. Should he win this game, he would become ALA Gym’s youngest regional champion to-date.
“One More Time” will be his first shot at a professional title, and his chance to show the world he is someone to look forward to in the world boxing scene.
In the main card of this month-end blast off, reigning IBF Intercontinental super flyweight champion Z “The Dream” Gorres will once again test the waters of world boxing against reigning UBO bantamweight king Nick “Kanyankole” Otieno as former WBC world flyweight champion Malcolm “Eagle Eye” Tuñacao makes his comeback. Tickets are available now at ALA Gym BTC (4162011), Islands