I VISITED the Cebu Coliseum last Friday. I arrived at 4:55 p.m. and the place was empty, save for a few workers cleaning. Silence echoed inside a building that, for decades, has been the noisiest stage in Cebu.
Finally, we have a new New Cebu Coliseum. For years, while the word “new” clung to its name, we knew it wasn’t. It was old. The Cebu Coliseum was tired, creaking, worn.
Think back: Aug. 4, 1962. The first event inside the coliseum was Gabriel “Flash” Elorde climbing the ring and defeating Terou Kosaka of Japan by UD after 12 rounds. Imagine that scene: thousands of Cebuanos, thrilled with Cebu’s newest arena, crammed inside and roared for the “Pride of Bogo.” That night set the tone.
That was 63 years ago.
Since then, Cebu City’s only major coliseum has hosted PBA and MBA games. I’ve watched countless boxing wars. One of the most memorable (and painful) was AJ Banal’s loss to Rafael Concepcion on July 26, 2008. AJ entered the ring 17-0 with 14 knockouts. But in the 10th round, Concepcion landed a crushing right. AJ sank to one knee and never beat the count. The crowd went silent.
The Coliseum also became the yearly home of Cesafi. This was where June Mar Fajardo was discovered. Where Dondon Hontiveros cemented his legacy as the Cebuano Hotshot. For 63 years, it was the stadium. Our only big one.
But like a veteran athlete, it aged. I remember March 8, 2022, just three months after typhoon Odette. When I walked inside with UC’s sports head Jessica Honoridez, I was shocked. Large portions of the ceiling were gone. Sunlight streamed in. Worse, when it rained, the downpour fell onto the floor.
That was then.
Today, the sight is different. I sat on the brand-new yellow plastic chairs in the Lower Box. Yellow below, red above. The Balcony, freshly painted. The smell of paint still lingered.
The floor? A Fiba-standard parquet that shimmered under the lights. At the center hung a Jumbotron. It was turned off during my visit, but I’ve seen photos when it lit up: crystal-clear and dazzling.
And the best news: aircon. Yes, aircon. Finally. I counted 16 large units. No more sweat-drenched nights like a Donnie Nietes fight when every fan was fanning. Now, Cebu’s 5,000-seater will be cool and comfortable. And just in case, two enormous “Big Ass fans” spin from the ceiling.
The “TICKETS” booth gleamed with its wood paneling and yellow trim. The entrance tiles polished. The walls accented in blue and yellow — the proud colors of UC.
Kudos to Attorney Augusto Go, the visionary owner. And to his trusted architect, my good friend Maxwell Espina, who executed the transformation. From ruin to rebirth, they’ve given Cebu a coliseum that fans will be proud to visit.
The Cebu Coliseum blessing will be this Saturday. And on the most awaited date, Sept. 13, as Cesafi opens its 25th season — with Attorney Go as president — athletes will step onto a brand-new floor. Fans will sit on new seats. And for the first time, players will see themselves on a giant Jumbotron.
For over six decades, we waited. Today, we can finally say: The New Cebu Coliseum is truly new.