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Philippines, 17 May 2024 |
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PBC: Possible Boxing Conspiracy By Teodoro Medina Reynoso PhilBoxing.com Wed, 11 Aug 2021  Cuban Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Arlen Lopez (R) in action against Britain's Benjamin Whittaker. First off, I would like to stress that I am not a fan of conspiracy theories. But weird things have noticeably been happening since professional boxing started to make a big rebound especially in the USA. There could be even bigger scenario playing behind the scene of some of these weird occurrences. In the aftermath of the somewhat still successful staging of the rescheduled 2020 Tokyo Olympics particularly in boxing where traditional powerhouse Cuba regained overall supremacy, came the biggest bomb: Pacquiao-Spence is off; Pacquiao-Ugas is on. The official reason given out is that Spence was forced to pull out of the fight on account of late discovery of detached retina probably he first sustained from his car crash accident in late 2019 and aggravated by previous fights or his recent pre fight sparring. There are whispers, however that Premier Boxing Champions of partners Floyd Maywesther, Jr and AL Haymon has put a lid on the fight to preserve Spence for a possible fight with Terrence Crawford who is reportedly set to desert Bob Arum's Top Rank and join PBC anytime soon. That means PBC is wary of a highly possible Pacquiao upset. PBC is only too aware that despite Pacquiao's continuing popularity in the US, majority of American fans are really for and even long demanding a Spence-Crawford setto. That was also the main reason why Arum did not push through with Crawford-Pacquiao last year. But what's weirder is that Yordenis Ugas's own scheduled opponent in the Spence-Pacquiao undercard also suffered eye injury in training and had to also pull out. That left both Pacquiao and Ugas without opponents and hence prompted the PBC to pair them as substitute main event for August 21. Curiously, it was Ugas who succeeded Pacquiao as WBA welterweight super champion when the WBA stripped Manny of the title and relegated him to the absurd designation as champion in recess for his alleged failure to defend the same since winning it in 2019. Heading into the Spence fight, Pacquiao has petitioned the WBA to restore him as super champion. But for still unknown reasons, the WBA refused his request and continued to recognize Ugas as its super champion. Does the WBA have an advance inkling that it will come to this? And does PBC have anything to do with that WBA decision considering that Ugas is also under contract with them? Just wondering. Is it merely coincidental that a week before that, another Cuban, Guillermo Rigondeaux, will be fighting another rising Filipino Johnriel Casimero for his WBO world bantamweight crown? Both Rigondeaux and Casimero are under PBC. Curiously again, Nonito Donaire almost from out of the blue was thrusted to replace Rigondeaux as Casimero's title opponent but as suddenly, Donaire pulled out bringing back Rigondeaux. The weird coincidences are just too much. Cuban fighters from even before Fidel Castro time have been much sought after recruits to the US boxing circuit. When was the last time prized recruits from the island were managed to be lured into the limelight of American ring? Rigondeaux and Luis Ortiz and Ugas were among the last. And that was at least two Olympics ago. If you are a powerbroker in the US, what will you do to lure the next wave of ultra talented Cuban fighters to bolt out of their beloved but poverty bound island nation and defect to the West? Serve them a showcase or two by way of high profile bouts where their countrymen who have previously defected and turned to prizefighting and have achieved measure of success have more than even chance of winning and furthering their pro careers in the process. Four Cuban boxers won the gold in Tokyo, three for the second time in this time in a second weight division- former junior welterweight now welterweight Roniel Iglesias, former middleweight now light heavyweight Arlen Lopez and former light heavyweight now heavyweight Julio Cesar La Cruz. The fourth, Art Cruz defeated American Keyshawn Davis for the gold, his first at lightweight. Target prized recruits all. 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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