Tuesday, August 07, 2007 ‘Fishy’ trend vs. Pinoys By Rommel C. Manlosa Sun.Star Staff Reporter
BOXING followers in Cebu express their alarm by what seems to be a trend of “discrimination” against Filipino fighters, saying this needs to be checked.
Lately, Rodel “Magnum Force” Mayol was not allegedly awarded his due when he put down Mexican IBF champion Ulises Solis on the canvas.
Instead of giving the Mexican the mandatory count, referee John O’Brien ruled it a slip despite seeing Solis with rubbery legs. Not a few TV commentators and analysts have aired their disagreement on O’Brien’s ruling.
Two weeks back, Czar Amonsot put down Australian champion Michael Katsidis on the canvas at the 7th round, but referee Jay Nady also ruled it a slip.
In the eyes of many Filipino boxing fans, Nady, a veteran of championship fights, was favoring Katsidis. He even warned the Boholano warrior for holding, while Katsidis escaped when it was his time to clinch.
Neat lesson
Last March, Gerry Peñalosa challenged Daniel Ponce de Leon for the latter’s WBO super bantamweight title.
According to analysts, the results were obvious, Peñalosa was giving de Leon a neat boxing lesson. Even US journalists were firm in admitting the 35-year-old Filipino would take home the title.
However, as the results were read—de Leon retained the title via a lopsided decision win.
Judges Chuck Giampa scored 109-119, Dave Morretti scored 108-120 and Nelson Vazquez scored 109-119 all for de Leon.
Giampa’s and Vazquez’s scorecards showed that Peñalosa won only one round, while Morretti’s card showed de Leon totally controlling the fight.
In February here, Z “The Dream” Gorres lost his chance to win the world title for the ALA Gym when referee Samuel Viruet penalized him with a point on the ninth and the 10th round for holding.
However, the deduction, came without warning.
Cebu’s most revered boxing patron Antonio Lopez Aldeguer shares the same observation, saying, “I just wonder why? During the Hopkins-Wright fight, Hopkins was clinching all the time but he got no deduction, not even a warning from the referee, but when Gorres fought Montiel, the deduction came without even a warning. Gorres had clinched only once, he was deducted and when he tried to hold on because he was in trouble, another deduction came.”
Even boxing fanatic, Eric Llamido, was alarmed with this trend.
Llamido said that this actions of the ring officials should be checked since the Filipinos are going for a daring battle against the Mexican fighters.
Mission
On Aug. 11 (Aug. 12, RP time) seven Filipinos will embark on a mission to beat Mexicans in the Boxing World Cup.
“If they can do it here in Cebu there is no reason for them not to do it in the US. World Cup boxing meant so much to us but look at what happened to Mayol, Amonsot, Peñalosa and Gorres. Or even on Manny Pacquiao, during his first fight against Marco Antonio Barrera, Pacquiao slipped on the first round but was given a mandatory count, but when it was the time for Barrera to take the beating, it was ruled a slip at the 6th round. The trend is alarming. Promoters or athletic commission officials should look at it,” Llamido explained.
Fairness and respect for Filipino boxers could make the difference.
In the case of the World Cup Boxing where two world championships and two title eliminators at stake it’s going to be a must. (RCM)
