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Philippines, 09 May 2024 |
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Year Ender Summary: Could Have Been Better But 2020 Is Not Exactly Bad Year for PH Boxing (First of Two Parts) By Teodoro Medina Reynoso PhilBoxing.com Mon, 28 Dec 2020  Casimero (R) defends his WBO title against Micah. With Filipino fighters already figuring in two world title fights in the first two months and at least four more slated to see action before the first half of the year was through, 2020 promised to be a better, more productive one for Philippine boxing. But it was not to be as the worst health crisis to hit the world since the 1918 Spanish Flu---the 2019 Coronavirus Pandemic--- happened forcing pro boxing and almost every normal everyday interactive human activities to a halt for nearly half of the year. As it turned out, Filipino fighters managed to figure in only a total of three more world title fights for the rest of 2020 which fortunately netted the country, an additional one new world champion, though just interim in designation which brings to five the number of Filipino world boxing titleholders as of the yearend. If only for that, 2020 may still be considered as not an entirely bad year for Philippine boxing. Pedro Taduran and Jeo Santissima both opened the Philippines world title campaigns in February with opposite results. Taduran successfully made a maiden defense of his IBF world minimumweight title via two round technical draw with Mexican challenger Daniel Valladares in Mexico. But Santisima failed in his first world title try though he still gave a good account of himself in losing by 11th round TKO to Mexico's Emmanuel Navarette in what proved to be the Mexican's final fight in defense of his WBO junior featherweight crown. Emmanuel Navarette won the vacant WBO featherweight championship vacated by American Shakur Stevenson who decided to move up to the super featherweight division. Geimel Magramo was supposed to lead the Filipino charge in the second quarter of 2020 in the illustrious company of Johnriel Casimero, Jerwin Ancajas and Nonito Donaire and another first time hopeful, Marco John Rementizo who was supposedly Wanheng Menayothin's WBC minimumweight title challenger in his Golden Boy Promotion's debut in the USA. In addition, WBA welterweight super champion Manny Pacquiao was also girding to see action by July possibly against any of the troika of Terrence Crawford, Mikey Garcia or Errol Spence whose comeback from a car accident was also being awaited by fans. Magramo was originally scheduled to meet Japanese Junto Nakatani in Japan on April 3 for the WBO flyweight vacated by Kosei Tanaka who moved up to challenge Kazuto Ioka. He was supposedly to be followed Ancajas who was to defend his IBF super flyweight crown versus Mexico's Jonathan Javier Gonzales in the USA and Casimero who was slated to meet Japan's Monster Naoya Inoue in a triple world bantamweight titles unification in Inoue's own Top Rank debut also in the USA. Donaire was originally scheduled to challenge WBC bantamweight champion Nordine Oubaali of France by first week of May with the winner supposed to meet the winner of the Inoue-Casimero bout later in the year. Rementizo's fight versus Menayothin was also scheduled to be held in the US between April and May. None of these fights happened as scheduled or designated as the Covid 19 pandemic forced the global suspension of boxing bouts starting in April which ran through well into the third quarter of the year except in the USA where big promoters started closed door boxing in so called bubbles or medically secured. Casimero's fight with Inoue was rescheduled for August and many fans in the USA and elsewhere were eagerly looking forward to watch it even if only through cable TV. But promoter Bob Arum had qualms about pitting his just signed top ward Inoue against a dangerous Casimero without a paying live arena crowd and decided to replace Casimero with a safer Jason Moloney. Hence Casimero had to settle for an initial WBO world bantamweight title defense versus mandatory challenger Duke Micah whom he dispatched without trouble via 6th round TKO in a Premier Boxing Championship promotion undercard in Connecticut last September 26. Like other world title fights in Japan, Magramo's fight versus Nakatani was postponed until boxing has returned under a certain new normal regime in the said land. But it had to be reset a few times due to the difficulty of Magramo and his corner in securing authority to enter Japan. There were even fears that Magramo may have had to be replaced. Magramo fortunately was able to gain entry to Japan but hardly had enough time to ready himself for the final reschedule set November 6. As a result, without adequate pre fight preparation and conditioning in view of the reglementary quarantine period, Magramo was far from his desired form and lost by stoppage to the taller, supremely in shape Nakatani. 
Nakatani (R) throws a right at Magramo. With the defeat of Magramo and as the year winded down, the hopes of the country for a new world boxing champion rested with Donaire and Jayson Mama who was selected by IBF flyweight king Moruti Mthalane in a yearend title defense in his South African hometown. Mama's fight with Mthalane was however scrapped as the organizers failed to meet requirements leaving Donaire as the lone hopeful. With his fight versus Oubaali set firmly for December 19, Donaire got a lucky break when the French defending champion tested positive for Covid and had to be replaced by Puerto Rican ex IBF titlist Emmanuel Rodriguez with the WBC interim ritle on the line. But Donaire himself had a positive test result a few days prior to his fight with Rodriguez prompting the organizers to look for immediate replacement. Luckily Reymart Gaballo was slated in the same promotion in one of the main supporting bouts and was moved up to the main event opposite Rodriguez. Gaballo, who once reigned as WBA interim belt holder whose last scheduled fight also got cancelled by the pandemic , made the most of the unexpected opportunity and he succeeded in convincing two of the judges that he deserved to win the fight than Rodriguez. 
Gaballo (R) connects with a right at Rodriguez. The Puerto Rican was probably still shellshocked from his two round knockout at the hands of Monster Inoue in May 2019 that he fought defensively throughout the contest. Hence Gaballo made it to the yearend as the country's fifth reigning world boxing champion making up for the losses of Santisima and Magramo, lost opportunities for Casimero, Rementizo and Jayson Mama that can also be said with Pacquiao and Ancajas and the continued long absence from the ring of Donnie Ahas Nietes. Bonuses of course are the high profile overseas victories of boxers like Mike Plania, Jameson Bacon and the pro debuting Eumir Felix Marcial. To be continued. The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.  |
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