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THE beloved Laura Elorde, widow of Filipino ring great Gabriel ‘Flash’ Elorde, has died due to a lingering illness yesterday
She was 92.
Grandson and NorthPort starting point guard Nico Elorde paid tribute to his ‘lola,’ who he said the entire Elorde clan will surely miss.
“Thank you for all the lessons and memories that you’ve shared with us,” said Elorde in his Twitter account, @NicoElorde.
“Thank you for showing us how to be patient and religious. You are our light, lola. Forever in our hearts. We love you so much. Rest in peace, lola Laura.”
Nico accompanied the tweet with a photo of his grandmother sitting on a big chair beside a mural of the ‘Flash,’ who reigned as world lightweight champion from 1960 to 1967 and inducted in the international boxing Hall of Fame in 1993.
“Flash” Elorde was one of the most active Asian boxers during his time, amassing an 89-27-2 (27 KO) record in his 16-year career.
Laure Elorde, the daughter of IBHoF inductee Lope Sarreal, married the prizefighter in 1954. Following her husband’s death from lung cancer in 1985, Laura became a boxing promoter in the late 1980s and 1990s.
The couple’s three sons also ventured in the sport. Sons Gabriel Jr. or Bebot, and Johnny, remain as promoters and managers, while Marty, a former tennis player, shifted to managing in 1983 at the request of his father.
Moreover, Juan Miguel, the son of Johnny, decided to follow his grandfather’s footsteps as a boxer and is the current WBO Asia Pacific super bantamweight champion, having won the title in 2015. His brother, Juan Martin, meanwhile, is a former WBO Asia Pacific featherweight and WBO Oriental lightweight champion.
The family also set up the Elorde boxing gym to host events and train potential world champions. In 2000, Laura set up the annual Elorde Awards Night to honor fellow Filipino pugs and the memory of her husband.
