Lope Sarreal
Lope Sarreal Sr., commonly known as Papa, is a renowned Filipino boxing promoter and manager, He is the founder of Interphil Promotions Inc., a standalone professional boxing promotional company. He played a significant role in shaping the careers of numerous world-class boxers. He was also credited with popularizing big-time boxing in Asian countries like China, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, and Korea, opening up new market for the sport. Sarreal was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2005.
Early life and career
Sarreal was a musician when World War II broke out and was incarcerated in a POW camp in Shanghai by the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces with captive American soldiers. He was the only Filipino in the camp and probably the most popular inmate as a cook. After the war, his American friends encouraged him to engage in trading surplus goods in Japan. That led to Sarreal opening a restaurant and trading company in Tokyo. Then, boxing began to boom in Japan and Sarreal jumped aboard the bandwagon, bringing Filipino fighters over in the 1950s. Known as the "Grand Old Man of Philippine Boxing" Sarreal produced 22 world titleholders, including a fighter and his own son-in-law Gabriel Elorde. Before long, Sarreal was totally immersed in boxing and his savvy paved the way for global recognition as a promoter.He wasn’t only a major boxing influencer in Asia but also the world over, rubbing elbows with boxing luminaries like The Ring Magazine founder Nat Fleischer, promoters George Parnassus and Dewey Fraggeta. Boxing Icons such as Jack Dempsey, Rocky Marciano, Archie Moore, Barney Ross and Willie Pep.
Notable client list
Some of the renowned fighters who are were previously represented by Sarreal Sr. include:- Flash Elorde
- Masao Ohba
- Saensak Muangsurin
- Erbito Salavarria
- Rolando Bohol
- Dindo Canoy
- Ricardo Arredondo
- Bernabe Villacampo
- Charchai Chinoi
- Venice Borkhorsor
- Netrnoi Sor Vorasingh
- Berkrerk Charvanchai
Boxing Hall of Fame