Wednesday, August 15, 2007 Wenceslao: Boom-boom and instant boxing experts By Bong O. Wenceslao Candid Thoughts
TEAM Philippines won Sunday’s World Cup against Mexico at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, USA, snagging five out of six bouts. Only highly touted Rey “Boom-boom” Bautista lost against WBO super bantamweight champ Daniel Ponce de Leon. That made the Filipinos’ win bitter and sweet as the Bautista-de Leon tiff was the main bout.
Pinoys didn’t have much to say about the second important feature, veteran Gerry Peñalosa’s fight against WBO bantamweight titlist Jhonny Gonzalez. When boxers win, people heap nothing but praises. And Gerry, 35 years old and behind in the score cards, did win with a lottery shot to Gonzalez’s ribs in the seventh round, knocking him out.
Bautista’s loss was the one subjected to a barrage of criticisms and analysis, obviously because Filipinos expected much from him. Suddenly, boxing “experts” have sprouted, many of them putting down the 21-year-old boxer from Candijay, Bohol (who officially represented Tagbilaran City to the consternation of his town mates.)
Sports actually has some affinity with politics and show business in the psyche of Filipinos. We are so enamored with sports, politics and showbiz that we grab at every opportunity to comment about issues that crop up related to them. More so with boxing, which is second only to basketball as the Philippines’ more popular sports disciplines.
With the democratization of the airing of opinions because of advances in technology, the tendency to act like “experts” has become more glaring. Cell phones, through text messages, and the Internet have allowed every Juan and Pedro to chip in whatever ideas they have. Because not all opinions are well-informed, objectivity suffers.
Boom-boom is its latest victim. When he was still winning, Bautista was the toast of the local boxing world, praised for the power in his fists and for his boxing skills at a young age. But demolished by de Leon in the first round Sunday, he suddenly became an amateur in the eyes of “experts,” chided for his “glass jaw” and limited defensive skills.
Before Sunday’s fight, one only heard a smattering of complaints about Bautista not being ready for a world championship try. After his loss, many are questioning the decision of his handlers to pit him against a world champion. Forgotten, is the fact that Boom-boom won in a WBO eliminator against then undefeated Sergio Medina.
Is Bautista all hype without substance as what same sectors, including those jealous with the success at the ALA boxing stable, are now claiming? Of course, Boom-boom’s popularity is partly hype, but real boxing observers agree that he is world class. Golden Boy Promotions would not have invested money on him if he was a fake.
But arguing with the “experts” about Boom-boom’s potentials would end up as nothing but mental calisthenics. Until he becomes world champion, there will always be doubters. Here, Bautista should heed the advice of real boxing analysts to pick up the pieces and learn from this bitter experience. He should not listen to the instant experts.
VSMMC MESS. A texter said he knew Wendell Villacin, who was linked to the ghost purchases from Rep. Antonio Cuenco’s pork barrel given to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center. I won’t reveal what the texter said but Villacin should surface to answer the charges against him.
