Arnel Barotillo has trained with and fought against some of the best boxers in the world. Now, at age 49, he’s giving back to the local fighting community in a big way.
Originally from the Philippines, the Ermington resident currently runs Barotillo Bombers Boxing Gym in North Rocks and trains upwards of 80 fighters on a weekly basis.
From men to women and teens starting out, Barotillo loves everything about his job.
“I came from a very poor family… I had nothing, but boxing gave me a lot,” Barotillo told Parra News.
Barotillo moved from the Philippines to Kings Cross in Sydney back in 1993. His manager at the time wanted to relocate him to Australia, so he could take his boxing career to another level.
“I came over as a professional fighter,” Barotillo said.
“When I was 12 or 13, my manager promised to bring me to Australia when I was 18 and he did.
“When I first arrived, I lived in Kings Cross. People used to come watch my fights. It was the best time of my life.”
A super bantamweight, Barotillo was at the peak of his powers during his time Down Under. Not only was he training with boxing legends such as Johnny Lewis and Jeff Fenech, but he was winning fights too – lots of them.
“I became Australian Champion and then I became the IBF Intercontinental Champion. I became number one in the world and fought for two world title fights,” he said.
“I even fought Manny Pacquiao when I was 25 and he was 20 back in the Philippines. After fighting me, his career took off.
“I gave up fighting professionally in 2001 at age 28.”
Following his time in the ring, the local father wanted to give back to the sport that gave him so much. He then went about training the next generation of boxing talent.
Last month, Barotillo took 20 of his fighters to Queensland to compete in the 2023 Golden Gloves event. Incredibly, his fighters won 11 gold and four silver medals in what was an unbelievable weekend for the Bombers.
A week later, at the NSW State Titles, his fighters, including his daughter Mya, secured four gold medals and one silver.
“Mya won at Golden Gloves and then she won the State Titles the following week,” Barotillo said proudly.
“One of my other elite fighters Paul Trainor, who is the current Australian Champion, will be fighting in the Final on September 24.
“I’m really proud of all of them because they worked hard for their success. They train Monday to Saturday – it’s full on!”
Troy Dodds is Parra News' Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia’s leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.