Game fowl fanciers of Bohol had formed an association of fighting cock breeders. It is with hope that the gamefowl industry of Bohol will approximate that of the island of Negros . There are a few breeders in the locality and they are just backyard industries. It will take a dedicated breeder to be able to produce quality fighters, which could be able to win national and international derbies. Gamefowl breeding is a serious business. It takes time money and effort to produce a winning breed. One must thoroughly know the bloodlines of his seed fowl so he can be able to keep a winning strain. Not all imported fowl are suited for the Philippine cockpit. Their winners might not be able to prevail over island born breed. It is only recently that cockfighting in the United States , where most of our breeders and fighters originate, had shifted to slashers.

US cockers use gaffs, the equivalent of the dueling epee, which are tied on each foot. It is round, that means bladeless and pointed, just like a curved ice pick. Unless the weapon hits a vital spot, the opponent cannot be killed outright. The bout will go on for an hour and when it results into a drag fight, the pair is transferred to a smaller arena to finish the fight so the main one can be used for the next bout. Many a cock, which had been bested in the opening round, can make a come back and kill its opponent.

Gaff fighters therefore are bred for stamina and courage. Dogged determination is substituted for fighting skills. Conditioning plays an important part. There had been fighters who had the advantage in the early stages but fades away in the long run. Or they raise the nape feathers and turn their backs on the opponent. There are also those, despite serious wounds, keep trying until it is killed.

Mexican cockfighting is brutal. They do not use gaffs but postizas, long spurs of other cocks are sawed off and tied to each foot of the fighters in place of gaffs. Unlike the gaffs, which may stab the opponent, the postizas pounds the enemy to death. Mexican fighters are mostly descendants of the Spanish gamecock, which are bred to hit the opponent's head or break its neck. Mexican cocks can be used like gaff fighters.

Our cockers use a curved knife. It is like a saber to a duelist or fencer. It cannot only stab but cut and when wielded by a good slasher cock, it can kill immediately or inflict ugly wounds. A slasher fight is fast and furious, the fight goes into a drag only when two incompetent slashers meet. Or when an opponent does not know how to finish off a downed enemy.

Old time American breeders raised gaff fighters. The names like Shufflers, Racy Mugs and Niggers – the base blood of the once famous Malaking Polo, and the brown red Hazards. Their style was to get a bill hold and “turn on the fan” or throw a long shuffle. They dominated the ring until an American sportsman called Hatch produced a scientific fighter. Another breed that killed off the shufflers were the Roundheads, the smart stepping fighter with plenty of ring craft.

While the Hatch breed was produced, another American sportsman called Col. John Madigin bred a highflying, accurate hitting and speedy fighter called the Claret. Then there was Judge Walter Kelso, whose cocks gave a good account of themselves in the arena. These four, the Hatch, Claret, Roundheads and Kelso ruled the cockpit although the last mentioned faded at the death of the Judge. Since it is fast and accurate, a bout with Clarets seldom goes into a drag fight. When the fight goes into a middle distance, the Roundheads have the advantage. It can weave, sidestep and avoid a bill hold while delivering a shuffle. When the fight goes into a drag, the winner will be the Hatch. It can outlast any breed.

At this time Philippine cockers started to buy American gamecocks. The Rivero brothers Ramon and Oscar, Galo Meliton and Peping Fernandez brought in gaff fighters like the Niggers, Racy Mugs, the Hazards and Shufflers. To evade taxes, cocks would be shipped with rejected hens and registered the batch as breeders, which would pay less taxes. The hens, though practically worthless were sold as breeders to the less discriminating. When armed with slashers, those fighters badly mauled each other that neither cock nor both could be of any use after the fight. Them the Filipino cockers started to ask their American suppliers to ship them cocks adapted to slasher fighting..