Rolly Lunas is a boxing OFW in search of the American Dream

MANILA - The migrant worker life is the ultimate sacrifice a Filipino parent can make. Faced with bleak economic prospects in their homeland, many migrant workers, or Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), leave their families behind in search of employment. They remain away from their families for years on end, living as aliens in an unfamiliar culture, sending whatever extra money they earn back to a family that goes on without them.

This is a life that Rolly Lunas knows all too well. For the past seven years, Lunas has lived in Japan under the name Rolly Matsushita, fighting 16 times against anyone whom he could get in the ring with, while working as the chief sparring partner to former bantamweight and featherweight titleholder Hozumi Hasegawa. During that time, Lunas managed to win the well-regarded regional Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) bantamweight title, before losing in a bid for Anselmo Moreno's WBA 118-pound title in 2008.

Meanwhile, his two daughters - Reign, nine-years-old, and Rits, five-years-old - grow up in Tabaco City in the Albay province of the Philippines, communicating with their father through social media.

Though Lunas' story is uncommon in boxing, it is one that many families in his home country can relate to. According to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, over two million Filipino citizens are living similar lives to Lunas in countries throughout Asia, the Middle East and elsewhere. The longest stretch that Lunas has spent with his family has been two months. He hasn't seen his children since leaving for America in April.

"[My daughters] always tell me that they miss me, that they want me to stay with them," said Lunas, whose record stands at 31-8-1 (19 knockouts). "It's hard but you know I need to do this to give them a better life. If I stay in the Philippines, there's nothing expecting to my future."

Earlier this year, the 29-year-old Lunas took another leap of faith when he relocated to San Diego, California, now training under the auspices of Vince Parra. Lunas' pursuit of the American dream will kick off this Wednesday (Thursday, PHL time), when he faces German Meraz (44-26-1, 23 KOs) at Las Pulgas in Tijuana, Mexico in an eight-round tune-up bout. It is just another step in a journey that has taken him around the world.

Lunas began boxing at the age of eight. A neighbor of his was a former pro, and devised a plan to harness his rambunctious energy for the boxing ring. Lunas' amateur career lasted until he was age 16, amassing a record that he says was 52-4, competing in five national amateur competitions.

Lunas turned pro at age 16, running his record to 12-0 domestically before losing a pair of bouts in Japan. This pattern would persist, as Lunas would win a few bouts before losing on decisions whenever he ventured overseas. Finally, after dropping a close decision to countryman Michael Domingo in 2005, Lunas looked to greener pastures in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Lunas made his name in 2007, when he won a technical decision and the OPBF belt over former flyweight titleholder and fellow Filipino expatriate Malcolm Tunacao, adding the scalp of Japanese bantamweight champion Masayuki Mitani during a six-fight win streak that led him to his lone world title challenge.

Lunas' team claims that Moreno's team offered them the fight on one week's notice in Moreno's backyard of Panama City, Panama. Lunas would lose a one-sided decision.

After being knocked out in seven rounds by Japanese journeyman Hiromasa Ohashi the following year, it looked like Lunas' dream of becoming a world champion were over. But he has persevered, and is currently riding a six-fight winning streak, with all six wins coming by knockout.

In search of better options and a more consistent trainer, Lunas' trip to the United States earlier this was sponsored by a prospective manager. The relationship went sour, and that's when he reached out to Vincent Parra.

Parra, who also manages and trains Filipino contender Mercito Gesta, had heard of Lunas through Gesta's cutman Stephan Lunas, who is Rolly's cousin.

"I really wasn't that interested at first," admitted Parra. "You see a guy 29 years old with eight losses and you kinda just go 'hmmm'.

"Then I took a step back and did some homework on him. The guy is just a hell of a fighter. I looked closer at the loses, met him, worked him out. I was sold."

Since joining forces with Parra, Lunas has spent significant time at the Filipino boxing Mecca known as the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, California, sparring with San Diego mainstays Chris Martin, Aaron Garcia and Antonio Orozco. Sparring with Mexican and Mexican-American boxers has been a learning experience, he says.

"Mexican fighters are different from Asian fighters," said Lunas. "Asian boxers are conservative, while Mexicans are more aggressive."

Parra says that, barring any unforeseen occurrence, he hopes to bring Lunas back in October in a more significant fight, with contender Chris Avalos being mentioned.

Despite not having fought in nearly a year, Lunas has retained a number six ranking with the World Boxing Council (WBC) at 118 pounds, and hopes to ride that crest to another title shot. Parra says they are working with Las Vegas-based promotional outfit Top Rank to make that a reality.

"Before I retire in boxing, I want to become a world champion," said Lunas. "This is how I can give my family a better life." - AMD, GMA News


Ryan Songalia is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) and contributes to GMA News. He is also a member of The Ring ratings panel and can be reached at ryan@ryansongalia.com. An archive of his work can be found here. Follow him on Twitter too.