Friday, August 24, 2007 Sayson: Batawang hits another snag in title quest By Homer Sayson Second Overtime
CHICAGO - When I first saw him in Sacramento during the World Cup of Boxing two weeks ago, Bert Batawang looked ashen, as though life had just been sucked out of his vibrant 30-year-old spirit.
Known as “The Ninja” from Sanciangko St, Cebu City, Batawang was disarmed in California, his fight scrapped due to an opponent’s torn retina.
All of a sudden, he was outside looking in. A participant turned bystander, gladiator turned cheerleader. A full paycheck vanished, and so did the $5,000 Ice Link watch that he was to receive as a World Cup fighter.
The flood of bad news was enough to send Batawang to jump from the nearest bridge or the tallest building. He, however, took his fate like a man, confident that in the mystery of God’s ways, things will play itself out for the better.
And it sure did. Almost. On Aug. 9, word trickled that Batawang will fight for a world championship sometime in September.
He will challenge Ulises Solis, the reigning and defending IBF light flyweight champion.
With his window of opportunity slowly closing at age 30, Bert was naturally ecstatic of the development. His 17-year journey as a pro fighter is nearing a climax, he thought, and the title fight’s prize money would go a long way to support his wife and five kids.
As the rest of Team Philippines went home to Cebu to relish their World Cup victory, Batawang stayed in Los Angeles to train some more at the Wild Card Gym with trainer Jeremiah Quijano.
While researching for a possible column about the Solis-Batawang duel, I noticed a little discrepancy: Two possible venues and dates floated—on Sept 15 at the MGM Grand and Sept. 16 at the Hard Rock Café, both in Las Vegas.
So I called the MGM Grand box office. No, said the ticket-seller. Neither Solis nor Batawang is fighting in the undercard of the Juan Manuel Marquez-Rocky Juarez pay-per-view festival.
I also called the Hard Rock Café. Negative, said a hotel rep. Only a show called Pinsanity 3 has so far been booked in September.
Stunned, I called the IBF headquarters in New Jersey.
“There is no such fight scheduled,” said Lindsey Tucker, the IBF’s championships chairman.
Had Batawang won in Sacramento, a title fight eliminator, he would have been a mandatory challenger. But since that bout was cancelled, the Ninja falls back in line as No. 12 contender, I was told.
Tucker also explained that Solis could still fight Batawang as a chosen challenger. But that exception would require a $20,000 fee. And that wouldn’t make sense, it’s like buying a set $20,000 wheels for a car worth only $15,000.
Besides, Solis just fought Rodel Mayol for eight brutal rounds in Aug 4. He would have to pull a Capt. Marvel to defend his belt after just 42 short days.
“The chances of this fight happening in September is very slim,” Tucker said.
I sat on the story for two days, waiting for more facts to come in, still holding hope, for Batawang’s sake. But when my friend, super reporter Salven Lagumbay of Cebu Daily News, broke the news on Philboxing.com yesterday, I decided to pull the trigger.
I called Mr. Tony Aldeguer, but he is in China. Calls to both Sammy Gello-ani and Michael Aldeguer were unsuccessful.
I did get hold of Tagbilaran City Mayor Dan Lim. He gave me the phone number of international promoter Sampson Lewkowicz, who did confirm that Solis-Batawang on Sept.15 is definitely off.
Explaining that I spoke to the “wrong people at the IBF,” Lewkowicz said that the fight wouldn’t push through because Solis hurt his shoulder. He forwarded me an e-mail he received from Shaun Gibbons, Solis’ promoter.
Right now, Lewkowicz is moving heaven and earth to schedule a tune-up fight for Batawang, now ranked No.8 by the IBF.
Lewkowicz isn’t discounting the possibility of Batawang fighting Solis as an optional challenger, but he admits that paying a $20,000 exception fee is too much dough in the 108-pound weight class. .
And so for the second time in less than three weeks, Batawang is put on the freezer.
