Pagara gets new manager, eyes boxing comeback 

Albert Pagara hits the mitts with Edmund Villamor at the Pagara Boxing Gym. | Contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Former World Boxing Organization (WBO) Inter-Continental super bantamweight champion “Prince” Albert Pagara rekindled his world title dreams with a new manager and a new boxing gym based in Tayud, Lilo-an town, north Cebu. 

The boxing gym called “Pagara Boxing Gym” opened last Thursday, August 18, 2022, at the Jimsville Executive Homes. It is owned by Paul Best, a Cebu-based Scottish boxing patron who shares the same vision as Pagara.

Best will be Pagara’s new manager, while the latter will be trained by Edmund Villamor. Pagara and Villamor have a long boxer-trainer relationship since the ALA Boxing Gym days where the former forged his name as one of the top prospects in the Philippine boxing scene. 

Villamor also trains four-division world champion and the longest-reigning Filipino boxing world champion Donnie Nietes.

In an interview with CDN Digital, the 28-year-old Pagara said that he would make his return in the ring at the 135-pound division or the lightweight division. 

“Sa 135lbs sa akong duwaan puhon. Diri ra sa Pilipinas ra siguro akong duwa,” said Pagara who holds a record of 33 wins with 23 knockouts and one defeat.

(I will fight in the 135 lbs division in the future. It will just be in the Philippines.)

Pagara plans to return to the ring next month in a non-title bout. It will end his two-year hiatus. The last time Pagara stepped in the ring was in December of 2020. He fought and defeated fellow Filipino Virgil Puton via unanimous decision in the under card of Omega Pro Sports International’s (OPSI) Kumbati fight card in Mandaue City.

Pagara’s lone defeat came from Mexican slugger Cesar Juarez. He lost to Juarez in the eighth round of their WBO Inter-Continental super bantamweight showdown in San Mateo, California in 2016.

After that, Pagara bounced back and put on a six-fight winning streak and regained the WBO regional title in the process. 

Albert Pagara (right) takes a break from training for a photo opportunity with his coach Edmund Villamor (left) and his new manager Paul Best (center) at the Pagara Boxing Gym. | Contributed photo

“Ang plano sa akong bag-o nga manager kay nagtukod mi og gym para naa ko matrainingan ug naa pud pangfitness sa ubang tawo,” added Pagara. 

(The plan of my new manager is that we will build a gym so that I can have a place to train and this can also be used for fitness training for other people.)

“Pasalamat ko sa akong manager si Paul Best kay siya jud ning tabang pagtukod sa gym nako ug ni coach Edmund Villamor sa iyang pagtraining nako og balik,” he said.

(I am grateful to my manager Paul Best because he is the one who really helped in building the gym for me and coach Edmund Villamor for training me again.)

For Best, one of the reasons he decided to help Pagara and put up a boxing gym is to motivate the latter and Villamor to get them back on track in contention.

“It’s to motivate him and with coach Edmund get him back in the ring, and, of course, go for world titles. Currently we are in touch with some promoters hoping for a fight before the end of the year,” said Best who has been residing in Cebu for 14 years.

Best is living in Lilo-an with his wife Salve and two children. He met Pagara with mutual friends and started discussing about boxing which came into fruition after opening up their boxing gym. 

“It’s primarily to give Albert a place to train close to where he lives but as time has passed now it is to provide a place for everyone to train and hopefully discover and develop future champions with coach Edmund Villamor,” said Best. 

Best is also planning to discover young talents that can form their own boxing team in the future. 

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