Pancho Villa World Champion 1923

In 1923, Filipino boxer Francisco “Pancho Villa” Guilledo shattered expectations by becoming the first Asian flyweight world champion. This historic triumph not only ignited the Great Filipino Boxing Era but also emboldened a nation facing the violence of U.S. imperialism. Our book, Pancho Villa: World Champion 1923, tells the incredible story of Villa’s rise from humble beginnings in the Philippines to his world-renowned victory, and how his journey changed boxing forever.