CEBU CITY – Regrets always come in the end.
A former professional boxer who fought several times abroad learned this the hard way after he was arrested for stealing a bicycle worth P6,000 in Barangay Pasil here.
ISAGANI Pumar answers questions from reporters while in detention at the Sawang Calero Police Station. (Contributed photo)
Isagani Pumar, 49, admitted stealing the bike.
Pumar planned to sell the bicycle so he could buy “Kulafu,” a popular Chinese wine.
“I was drunk at the time,” said Pumar, who is detained at the Sawang Calero Police Station.
The theft that happened on September 2 was caught on closed circuit television camera. The owner of the bike was able to identify Pumar and recovered it from the former boxer’s house.
“He planned to sell the bike because according to him money, he had no money at the time,” said Police Major Francis Talosig, chief of the Sawang Calero Police Station.
The Cebu City native Pumar fought 47 times as a pro boxer, accumulating 31 wins, 13 losses, and three draws. Seventeen of his wins came by way of knockouts.
He last fought on October 19, 2002 at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex in Mandaue City, Cebu where he scored a knockout win over Edwin Gastador.
Pumar was a promising boxer and at one point was rated No. 2 by the World Boxing Council and No. 5 by the International Boxing Federation.
He said he was able to vie in two world title fights in the United States but lost both matches.
Pumar is married to a Filipina, who was able to acquire an American citizenship. The couple has one child, who is also currently living in the US.
The theft charges that Pumar is facing is the latest setback that befell him.
Pumar said his life changed when he was deported to the Philippines after he was involved in a gang in the US.
Things turned for the worse for Pumar when he got hooked on illegal drugs. “I realized that regrets always come in the end,” said Pumar.
Once he regains his freedom, Pumar promised to devote his time training young boxers.
Pumar said it has always been his plan to become a boxing trainer after his professional career ended.
“I want to share what I learned from boxing and I think it’s not yet too late,” said Pumar.