Thursday, October 16, 2008 Doctor: Balweg's cut was bad By Charles Raymond A. Maxey
BALWEG Bangoyan's cut that was caused by an accidental head butt was bad, forcing the ring physician to advise the referee not to continue with the fight between the Filipino boxer and Sande Otieno of Kenya for the World Boxing Council (WBC) international super bantamweight championship last Friday at the Rizal Memorial Colleges (RMC) Gym.
Dr. Edgar Tan clarified this in a television interview over the "Maayong Buntag Mindanao" program of ABC-CBN Davao Tuesday morning in answer to allegations that he tried to save Bangoyan from an impending defeat in the fight witnessed by a highly partisan crowd.
Upon Dr. Tan's advise, referee Bruce McTavish halted the bout at 1:32 of the fifth round, and Bangoyan was declared the winner via a technical decision. Bangoyan was leading Otieno, 48-45, in all the judges' scorecards at the time of the stoppage.
"It was a bad cut," said Tan, who has been Davao's top ringside physician since 1998.
Bangoyan had scored a beautiful knockdown against Otieno in the first round, but was bleeding from a cut over his left eye as a result of a head butt in the second. The Kenyan was deducted a point by McTavish after the round.
Otieno, however, was starting to land hard punches from the fourth round and had Bangoyan in queer street in the fifth when McTavish stopped the fight and ordered Dr. Tan to examine the Filipino's cut.
It took Dr. Tan several seconds to look at the wound before finally waving to McTavish that Bangoyan cannot anymore continue fighting. The cut was bleeding profusely when the bout was stopped.
As to the question why he didn't stop the fight or examine Bangoyan's cut in the earlier rounds, Tan said the referee never bothered to ask him examine the wound.
"Only the referee has the right to stop the bout," Tan said in explaining the reason why never went to see the cut in the earlier rounds.
The Otieno camp questioned Dr. Tan's decision right after the match and is now demanding a rematch with Bangoyan anytime.
Jose Abad Santos Mayor Alexander Wangkay, who handles Bangoyan, said is amenable to a rematch provided it will still be held in Davao City.
