COMING WORLD SLASHER CUP WILL BE THE BIGGEST EVER

CARREO by Rolando S. Luzong

Peoples Tonight (January 6, 2010)

COMING WORLD SLASHER CUP WILL BE

THE BIGGEST EVER

Brace yourselves, all indications point to a historic staging of the World Slasher Cup 8-Cock International Derby with 241 entries already listed as of yesterday and a final field of 260 competitors expected to see action in the biggest and most prestigious cockfighting event in the world.

The Araneta Coliseum blockbuster is set on January 18, 19, 20, 21 & 23. The first half of entries will face each other on the 18^th for their 2-cock eliminatyion round, while the remaining half will collide on the 19^th.

Qualifiers from the January 18 preliminaries will have their semi-finals on Jan. 20, while the Jan. 19 batch will have their semis on the 21^st.

All the finalists will lock horns on Jan. 23 4-cock championship round when this year’s champion will be decided.

Marcel Julao (MTJ Bros.) who is the current defending champion is fielding in two entries to try to do a repeat and duplicate the feat achieved by highly-respected sabungero Peping Ricafort (PTK Country Road) in 2000.Mang Peping is also on the comeback trail with two entries.

Phenomenal gamefowl breeder Sonny Lagon of Blue Blade Game Farm, who is Thunderbird’s top endorser is putting a total of 4 entries with majority of his fighters composed of his Blue Blade Swites or Sweater-White crosses.

Another Thunderbird Winning Team member Bernie Tacoy of Ormoc City who belongs to the Thunderbird Successors group, will be fighting his 16 of his multi-winner Ormoc Gold aces in two entries.

Also expected to add color to the Slashers is comebacking Charlie “Atong” Ang who is reported to be fielding two entries and is said to be personally conditioning his birds.

Gengen Arayata of Cavite – the only World Slasher Cup (two-time) and Bakbakan title-holder ever is going for a grad slam with four entries featuring his Gengen Bulik crosses.

PINOY POWER

Also bent to capture the biggest World Slasher Cup ever are Dicky Lim, Honey Yu, Rey Briones, Boy Lechon, Pol Estrellado, Cito Alberto, Manny Dalipe and Boy Marzo – all belonging to Thunderbird’s Champions of the World team.

Of course, the who’s who of Philippine cockfighting will be there to provide glitter to the competition. These includes Gov. Ito Ynares of Rizal; Biboy Enriquez with his Firebirds; Gerry Ramos; traditional breeder Boy Diaz of Purple Haze Farm who is Tukaan’s lead host; 2-time Slasher champ Cong. Claude Bautista of Davao; Ricki Reyes; Raymond Velayo, veteran cocker-breeder Eddie Araneta and his Karachis; Cong. Peping Cojuangco of Tarlac and Cong. Rudy Albano of Isabela.

FOREIGN INVASION

Determined to put up a good fight and give the local boys a run for their money are the Amerricans which include Roger Roberts of Atlanta, Georgia; Ray Alexander of Alabama and his famous Clarets; Kali Casco of Hawaii; Jorge “Goy” Goitia; Mike Formosa of Hawaii; former Slasher champ Rodel Costales of California; Jorge Torres of California; Tom Cooper of North Carolina and Jeff Hudspeth also of North Carolina.

Also out to challenge the Pinoys are Brad Padgette of Oregon; Wilbert LeBlanc of Louisiana who have been breeding roosters in a farm in Laguna for the past three years. LeBlanc with his feared Yellow Rose entry have had several runners-up finishes in the past and is threatening to finally capture the crown this time.

Happy Birthday to my son Rolando Mikhail “Kyle” tomorrow.