Tuesday, March 04, 2008 Quijano: Spiderman shows them how By Jingo Quijano Last Round
I’M TIRED of slamming Sky Cable for taking out Solar Sports from its roster. I’m sure all of you are too, to some extent.
If it doesn’t register in their noggins, then (sigh!) it’s time to move on. If there’s a reason why our species is on top of the food chain it’s because mankind has learned to survive and adapt under the direst of circumstances.
Apparently the suits at Sky Cable gallivant about in a different blogosphere, hardly attuned to its subscribers’ needs. But if they seem nonplussed about the fact that their business might soon end up in life support, so be it. This will be the last time you’ll catch me carping about it.
But I was just amazed at how many people continue to be affected.
Just last Friday, while waiting for “URCC Cebu 2: Visayan Pride” to begin, I had the pleasure of joining Antonio “ALA” Aldeguer and company at the hotel lobby. The “Don” of Cebu boxing himself lamented that he probably had to go all the way to Danao City to watch Israel Vasquez-Rafael Marquez III that Sunday.
Hmmm, and I thought only the rest of us mortals suffered the curse.
JAB JAB…ZZZZ. The sports channel “Balls” did provide some measure of redemption (boxing-wise) last week when it showed the Wladimir Klitschko-Sultan Ibragimov title bout.
Problem was, it was so boring I felt my eyelids droop ala Jun Lozada midway through the fight.
Time was when clutch-master John Ruiz was my favorite cure for insomnia. Jab, hug, clinch. Repeat as often as desired. Or until opponent gets kayoed by boredom.
Now his rather unsightly exploits have apparently been taken over by no less than the only guy who can possibly lay claim to the throne of heavyweight champion of the world.
Lennox Lewis was boring but at least he knew how to finish off an opponent who was hurt. Klitschko, appeared genuinely mortified of the smaller Ibragimov’s whistling blows, and so he contented himself with a long, pattering jab. All night long.
He demonstrated a nasty pattern of pawing, and slapping away the smaller, shorter Ibragimov’s jab for 12 rounds and waiting for openings which were all but evident to almost everyone-but him. All night long.
F AND D. No, make that Effendi. Sofyan, that is who will be arriving in our shores today, primed for his non-title bout with our very own Milan Milendo at the Mandaue Sports Complex this Friday, March 7.
ALA Gym’s Milan, who is nicknamed “Milenyo”, and is the reigning WBO Asia Pacific Champion, sports a record of 14-0 with 4 KOs, while the Indonesian challenger brings a slate of 7-4 with 6 KOs
DOMINANT. Anderson “Spider” Silva is a freak of nature. Standing at 6-foot-2, he hardly looked like a middleweight in dominating the much shorter but feistier Dan Henderson last Sunday in retaining his UFC middleweight belt.
Henderson, who fought at the light heavyweight limit in his last bout, was in the fight only in the first round. Thereafter, Silva aggressively attacked him with punches, kicks and knees, which soon drove Henderson to the ground.
He assumed the top position but later took Henderson’s back. Unlike most over-eager fighters who greedily go for the choke once the opportunity presents itself, Silva took his time, raining elbows on Henderson’s neck and digging at his ribs.
Eventually, Henderson’s strength ebbed and the rear naked chokehold executed by the Spider was picture-perfect.
Not counting his disqualification loss to Yushin Okami in Jan. 20, 2006, Silva last tasted defeat in New Year’s Eve 2004 to Ryo Chonan in the undercard of the Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera- Fedor Emelianenko super-fight.
Not even UFC lightheavyweight champion Quentin “Rampage” Jackson dominated Henderson like that. Impressive.
Compare it with heavyweight boxing’s bore-fests and you know which sport is in trouble.
THE LAST ROUND. It’s on Mei-ann Gopico Orozco, who successfully hurdled the nursing licensure examinations. Cheers!
