It is always a welcome respite to engage a fellow boxing fanatic in a friendly “sparring” session. A few weeks ago, this writer received an e-mail from astute boxing follower Teodoro Reynoso regarding the piece this writer wrote about AJ “Bazooka” Banal on August 31.

The aforesaid column discussed Banal’s quest to become the country’s fourth world bantamweight (118 pounds) champion after Luisito Espinosa (1989), Gerry Penalosa (2007) and Nonito Donaire Jr. (2011). Banal, 28-1 with 20 knockouts, will face Thailand’s Pungluang Sor Singyu on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight diadem.

In his e-mail, Mr. Reynoso asked whatever happened to Little Dado, who was recognized as bantamweight champion in 1940 and was one of the best flyweight fighters of his era. Little Dado, Eleuterio Zapanta in real life, defeated American Tony Olivera on April 24, 1940 to earn recognition as “world” bantamweight champion, but said recognition came only from the California Boxing Commission. Back then, boxing commissions in the United States, depending on the influence they yielded (the New York State boxing commission was particularly powerful because Madison Square Garden was the mecca of boxing at the time), produced and recognized their own “world” champions to augment their respective coffers. The sole governing body in boxing at the time was the National Boxing Association (now the World Boxing Association or WBA) and its champions were recognized as world titlists and not mere “state” world champs. Unfortunately for Dado, he fell in the latter category.

Around the time Dado defeated Olivera, the universally recognized world bantamweight champion was NBA titleholder Sixto Escobar of Puerto Rico. Escobar earned universal recognition as world bantamweight champion (regardless of state) on August 31, 1936, when he stopped Tony Marino in 14 rounds. Escobar lost the belt to Harry Jeffra in September 1937 but regained it in a rematch in February 1938. When weight issues forced Escobar to relinquish the crown in the early months of 1940, the bantamweight throne was thrown into chaos with several boxing commissions recognizing their own champions. The California Boxing Commission tried to promote Dado as its world bantamweight champion, but according to The Ring magazine Dado never bothered to defend the title. On September 24, 1940, the NBA and The Ring magazine settled the issue when they jointly recognized Lou Salica as the genuine bantamweight king after he defeated Georgie Pace in New York. Salica’s triumph overshadowed Dado’s claim over the bantam crown. “Calling a boxer a champion simply because he has been so dubbed by a commission is the height of folly,” said Nat Fleischer, the founder of The Ring magazine.

Dado ended up abandoning the California Boxing Commission’s “world” bantamweight title. He returned to the flyweight class (112 pounds) in 1941 to go after the legitimate NBA world title. Two years before, in November 1938, Dado defeated fellow Filipino Small Montana for the California Boxing Commission’s version of the “world” flyweight crown. In February 1941, Dado fought American Jackie Jurich for the vacant NBA world flyweight title and won by a 10-round decision. The win, however, remains shrouded in mystery. Dado struggled to meet the 112-pound weight limit and immediately returned to the bantamweight class. In July 1943, Dado relocated to Hawaii and challenged David Kui Kong Young for the “world” bantamweight title of the Hawaiian Territorial Boxing Commission. Dado lost by eighth round knockout and retired after the fight with a record of 46-7 with 21 knockouts.

Dado was undoubtedly one of the best fighters of his time, excelling in the flyweight and bantamweight divisions. He defeated a host of great fighters like Salica, Jurich, and Joey Rosenberg. While he never enjoyed universal recognition as bantamweight champion, The Ring magazine recognized Dado’s fistic skills and ranked him No.5 in its list of the greatest Filipino boxers in history in 1996.

Hopefully, when Banal challenges Sor Singyu for the WBO bantamweight title on Saturday, “Bazooka” will turn out to be as good as Dado.

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