Comeback
Parica was content with playing billiards privately and wading in the pool of his 5-bedroom house in West Covina, until one day, while they were in Las Vegas, his wife Aurora overheard a Filipino say that Efren Reyes was the best Filipino player ever, and that Reyes could beat any Filipino, including Parica. Reyes had been named Player of the Year in 1995. Aurora told Parica what she heard, and convinced him to play competitively again, just to prove that he is not yet over the hill. Parica took it as a challenge and as a go-signal from his wife to resume his suspended billiards career.
In late 1996, Parica resumed playing in the U.S. circuit. He lost twice to Reyes that year, and also lost to American ace Johnny Archer, who emerged Player of the Year in 1996. But Parica still managed to win four tournaments that year, against Reyes’ three.
Parica showed his fighting heart by coming back in 1997 to beat Reyes six in a row, and Archer seven times. Parica won five tournaments that year and emerged No. 1 in world ratings. Parica even won the Camel Overall Bonus of $50K. He proved he was still among the best in the world by being chosen Player of the Year in 1997 by three award-giving bodies — Billiards magazine, Billiards Digest magazine, and the Camel Pro Billiards Series (the richest and most prestigious circuit in the US at that time).
Parica and Reyes faded again in 1998, as the rising Francisco Bustamante dominated the circuit, by winning three of the Camel Circuit’s eight legs, and placing second in two. Bustamante won the Player of the Year honors that year.
After three tournaments in the Camel Circuit, Parica ranked 9th place with 130 points, with Bustamante at 6th and 170 points. Reyes, who missed one tournament when he represented the Philippines in Brunei, was considerably behind, with only 80 points. Reyes won the World Nine-ball Open in London in early August.
Parica finished in a tie for 7th and 8th in the first leg of the tour, in Kansas; 13th in Atlanta; and 32nd in Las Vegas, which Reyes did not compete in.
With his convincing victory in the Compton event, where six of the seven Filipinos who competed finished in the money list, Parica advanced to the next leg, at Nashville, Tennessee starting 14 September, and later at the prestigious U.S. Open in Houston, Texas on September 25–26.
At age 50, having played billiards for 43 years, and having more than 100 titles under his belt, Parica has not announced any plans to retire. In 2006, he won the $40K First Western Open Nine-ball Championship at the Crystal Park Casino and Hotel in Compton, beating Francisco Bustamante in the finals, 15-12. However, when he participated in the 2006 IPT North American Open Eight-ball Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada, he was eliminated in the first round, winning only $2,000.00 for his effort. He fared better at the IPT World Open Eight-ball Championship in Reno, Nevada, where he reached the 4th round and won $22,322.00.
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