In 1961, action superstar Fernando Poe, Jr. starred in the movie Apollo Robles. Since the picture was about a struggling boxer, the production staff headed by Director Gerry de Leon opted to consult boxing champ Flash Elorde on some boxing tips and pointers and assist them in some critical boxing scenes to make the movie more realistic.
Mano-Mano (1964)- Stars Fernando Poe, Jr., Flash Elorde, Paquito Diaz, Lito Anzures, Pablo Virtuoso, Dencio Padilla, Victor Bravo, Vic Varrion, with Rebecca, Mila Montanez/ Directed by Efren Reyes
Fighting as a junior lightweight (today’s super featherweight), Elorde defended the world 130-pound title for a record 10 times in a span of seven years (1960 to 1967).
Let's relive and relish that glorious moment in Philippine sports when challenger Flash Elorde won the 130 lb. World Junior Lightweight Championship against champion Harold Gomes. The date: March 16, 1960---
Wins world junior light crown
in 7th as crowd goes wild
The Manila Times/ March 17, 1960
Flash Elorde blasted Harold Gomes to the canvas seven times last night and wrested the world junior lightweight championship by a stunning seventh-round knockout. A delirious crowd of 25,000 that jammed the spanking new Araneta Coliseum in
Out on his knees
Gomes, defending the title for the first time, was counted out on his knees right in his corner as the crowd broke loose with a deafening roar. It was 1:50 of the seventh round. Elorde, a ring wise southpaw known all over the world, punished Gomes severely with his left, carving out all the knockdowns with this fist.
Every round except first
Elorde got every round except the first, which was even. He floored Gomes twice in the second round, with the bell saving Gomes. Elorde downed Gomes again in the third, once in the fifth and felled him once for four counts before putting him away for keeps in the seventh.
Cruel, Battering
Flash crushed Gomes to the floor again in the third and battered him cruelly around the ring. In the fifth, Elorde stretched Gomes on the canvas for a count of five and then left him flat on his back draped over the lower ring strand, at the bell. In the seventh round, Elorde, appeared coasting, and Gomes looked as if he might recover his senses. But the Flash suddenly darted two right leads to Gomes’ head and then crossed a shattering left to the jaw. Down went Gomes, and he took a count of four. He struggled up, was blasted down again, staggered up and then was smashed down for the full count with a barrage of leather capped by that left uppercut.
It was a good fight
When Referee Ross finished his count over the prostrate Gomes, the crowd at ringside erupted into the ring, scrambling chairs, typewriters, telephones and newsmen in the process. Elorde burst into tears as his countrymen pummeled him in the back. Gomes sat in his corner dazed. “It was a good fight,” Gomes whispered as he congratulated Elorde. Save for a slight cut, Elorde was unmarked. Elorde hit the weight limit of 130 pounds right on the nose--- after shedding one and three-fourths at noon. Gomes weighed 128 ¼ pounds. It was Elorde’s second title title fight. He fought Sandy Saddler at
More on Flash Elorde
Unused Ringside ticket to the 
Gabriel ‘Flash’ Elorde (born March 25, 1935) was the youngest of nine children of a poor family. Early in life, he learned that he must fight hard for anything worthwhile in life. He has been fighting ever since. From a pinboy in a bowling alley to a construction laborer where some friends he won with his fists steered him into a career in boxing. He came out the winner in a series of fights until he lost to Kid Independence. Flash felt like quitting then and for a while he shied away from the ring, but not for long. Soon he came back, this time dead set to be a champion.
