TEN Pinoys figured in world title fights this year. Six fell short. While the four champions bring pride to a nation, the six, and the others who lost their “bouts,” remind us of the flip side of professional boxing.
For a Nonito Donaire, there is a Rodel “Magnum Force” Mayol, the once promising and talented boxer who fell, after just a month’s preparation, to Ulises Solis in eight.
For a Florante Condes, he who gambled against Muhammad Rachman and won the IBF minimum weight title, there is Rey Bautista, the boxer who thought toughness and courage alone can win a fight.
For a Gerry Peñalosa, there is a Bert Batawang, who defied age in search of a dream.
For the hard-working Donnie Nietes, there is a Lito Sisnorio, whose life was snuffed out, in a match he wasn’t supposed to fight.
Z Gorres started the title shots in 2007 when he tried to snatch the WBO super flyweight belt from Mexican Fernando Montiel last Feb. 24 at the Cebu City Sports Center, but fell short.
Gorres displayed his usual ring flair and dominated most part of the fight. But referee Samuel Viruet’s two crucial deductions, without even issuing a warning, had the Cebuano losing on the scorecards of Raul Caiz 111-115 and Chuck Giampa 112-114, while Denny Nelson gave him a 115-111 win.
That heartbreaking defeat, however, taught Gorres a lesson as he delivered his best when he defeated former world champion Eric Ortiz during the Boxing World Cup held in Sacramento, California, by an 8th round TKO.
Next year Gorres, will have a second try and the first step will be against Armenian-born Australian Vic Darchinyan in a 12-round IBF eliminator bout at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel. The winner is scheduled to become the mandatory challenger of Russian champion Dimitri Kirilov.
Career’s end
Czar Amonsot fought the undefeated and hard-punching Australian Michael Katsidis for the WBO lightweight Interim title and lost by a unanimous decision after 12 rounds at the Mandalay Bay Resort last July.
The defeat also saw the end of Amonsot’s boxing career.
During the mandatory medical checkup, a small blood clot was found on his brain and he underwent a series of MRI’s and CT Scans. Luckily, the clot did not get worse, instead it diminished as the days went by.
After returning home, Amonsot was told to rest for three months to let the clot completely heal.
However, in an accident, an iron bar hit his head as he was doing chores in his home in Tagbilaran City. The clot reappeared, forcing his management group to advise him to retire for good.
Mayol, one of the brightest hope of the Philippines for a world boxing title suffered his second defeat from the hands of Mexico’s Solis last Aug. 4 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois in the US.
Shortly after rejoining his former managers Terry Lee Carter and Joy Ouano, who now live in Georgia, Mayol got a call one month before the fight for a chance to challenge Solis.
With just a month’s training in Las Vegas and without proper preparation and nourishment Mayol lost by an eighth round TKO.
Mayol is currently training at the Wild Card Gym and hoping for another chance to get a world title crack again.
Bautista, young and brash at 21, suffered a humiliating defeat from Daniel Ponce De Leon when they fought for the WBO super bantamweight title last Aug. 11 at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California.Bautista deviated from the original game plan and went toe-to-toe with the bull-strong Mexican champion.
Abandon
Though not a few of his fans abandoned him, Bautita’s management remained steadfast in their belief with their fighter and the Boholano bounced back with a unanimous decision win last Dec. 2 in the card aptly named Payback.
Gejon had the biggest surprise of his life in his second meeting with Yutaka Niida for the WBA minimum weight title last Sept. 1 at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
The taller Gejon was out-punched and outwitted by Niida who had improved tremendously since their last meeting.
That loss was frustrating on the part of Gejon who had worked even harder to win the world title.
Two months later, with just three weeks notice, Gejon suffered his third defeat, a first round knockout to Nicaraguan Roman Gonzales last Nov. 3 still in Korakuen Hall.
Other once promising boxers who lost bigtime this year were former world champion Malcolm Tuñacao, who lost his OPBF bantamweight belt to fellow Filipino Rolly Lunas Matsushita by a technical decision last Jan. 13 at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo Japan.
Bobby Pacquiao also lost to Humberto Soto via seventh round knockout last June 9 at the Madison Square Garden in New York. But the younger Pacquiao bounced back with a fourth round TKO win over Fernando Trejo last Nov. 23 in Morongo Casino and Resort in Cabazon, California.
Bert “The Ninja” Batawang also lost his title shot against Solis just last Dec. 15, ending an ugly year for the 35-year-old pugilist who is now pondering retirement.
Batawang had two fights cancelled this year to various reasons, while his title shot had to be postponed thrice. When it finally happened, he got stopped in the ninth round.
However, despite their losses, these boxers can be considered better off.
On March 30, flyweight Lito Sisnorio, who five of his last six fights and was 10-6-1 going into his bout against Chatchai Sasakul, who has won 58 of 61 matches, fought his last match.
Hours after a fourth-round KO loss, Sisnorio, 25, died. (RCM)
