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Philippines, 17 May 2024 |
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INSIDE SPORTS: "WARRIORS OF THE FINEST KIND" By Ronnie Nathanielsz PhilBoxing.com Tue, 26 Jan 2010  Whenever a fighter enters the ring, the recent history of ring deaths and the physical damage to fighters indicate he realistically puts his life on the line. Like Z “The Dream” Gorres before him, IBF light flyweight champion Brian Viloria did the same thing last Saturday against a resilient Colombian Carlos Tamara who had an iron chin and was in superb physical condition. Brian gambled by responding to the chants of Filipino fight fans who shouted “Viloria! Viloria!!” in unison and tried to give them a finish they would remember, just like he did against Ulises Solis to win the title with a spectacular eleventh round knockout last April 19. Regrettably it didn’t happen and a thoroughly exhausted and drained, Viloria wilted in the last three rounds and lost by a TKO in the twelfth. Referee Bruce McTavish who has always impressed us with his quality officiating did the right thing and in the process surely saved Viloria from further harm as proven by the fact that he collapsed in his dressing room and had to be rushed to hospital shortly afterwards. It was the same with Gorres who had often been unfairly and unintelligently criticized by a few individuals who don’t have a clue about the sport and pay scant respect to the burdens that fighters bear and the sacrifices they make preparing for a fight and then stepping into the ring really not knowing what fate awaits them. Driven by a desire to prove them wrong Gorres sought to end his fight against rugged Luis Melendez who was also from Colombia and earn an eagerly awaited rematch with WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel and in the end paid a heavy price. His title dreams turned into a nightmare but thanks to a merciful and caring God and his wife Daches who is a tower of strength and the Filipino doctors and nurses in Las Vegas who help him in whatever way they can, Gorres has recovered rather dramatically and should soon be coming home to the warm embrace of a grateful nation and his four little kids. It’s the same with Brian. As we told him after his superb performance against Solis, Filipino fight fans who had abandoned him after his lackluster showing against Omar Nino Romero and his questionable loss to WBC champion Edgar Sosa, fell in love with him again and embraced him. However, in a pathetic display of utter ignorance and meanness, there have been a couple of individuals who have sought to denigrate Brian, hiding behind the skirt of assumed names like the cowards that they really are. For millions of us both here at home and abroad, fighters like Z Gorres, Brian Viloria and pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao are warriors of the finest kind who seek to bring honor and pride to their country beyond making a better life for themselves and their families. What manner of evil minds can hurl insults at a gallant fighter lying in a hospital bed surrounded by family members and those who care including friends in media who were not looking for a story but rather were seeking to provide solace to him, his charming girlfriend Erika Navarro whose parents are, like Brian, from Ilocos Sur, and his initially distraught manager and a wonderful human being, Gary Gittelsohn. The fact that Solar Sports owner William Tseng rushed to the Makati Medical Center to join his brother Wilson and COO Peter Chanliong who were there every step of the way speaks volumes for them and their genuine care and concern which is as it should be. That the esteemed businessman-sportsman Manny Pangilinan who owns the Makati Medical Center made sure Brian was given the best medical attention available and his top executive and Amateur Boxing Association president Ricky Vargas kept texting us updates on Viloria’s condition were all testaments to how they look at our warriors in the ring and how concerned they are over their well-being. Genuine sportsmen and good and decent men behave in this fashion while those who laugh at Brian’s fate or seek to make fun of him after his loss must surely rank not merely as cowards but as vermin. Top photo: Dethroned IBF juniorfly champion Brian Viloria of the Philippines (L) scores in the early rounds against Carlos Tamara of Columbia during their title fight on Jan. 23 at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City, Philippines. Photo by Dong Secuya. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.  |
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