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Philippines, 14 Mar 2026 |
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?Knock each other out ?and God bless?" By Epifanio M. Almeda PhilBoxing.com Sun, 08 Aug 2010  The last minute reminders a boxing referee gives to the two boxers shortly before the bell signaling the start of the first round rings are ?Punches below the belt are no no?, ?Obey my commands at all times?, ?When I say stop, stop?, and, in almost all cases the last one is ?Protect yourself at all times?. These are reminders, not instructions. The boxers already know, or are presumed to know, the rules they should observe inside the ring. They know what not to do within each 3-minute round of the fight. Having heard these reminders so many times, I seem to no longer pay attention to any more of these when I watch a fight. Not until I heard young referee and good friend Atty. Danrex Joseph Tapdasan ended one of his reminders with ?God bless?. He got my attention and I couldn?t help but got amused. The reminders are more on what not to do in order not to violate the rules of engagement in the ring. No holding, no rabbit punching, no punching after the bell or when the opponent is down or any other foul acts. Without expressing the obvious, the referee is actually telling the boxers that when the bell rings to open a round, they are to punch, hurt and do damage to the other guy. And they do. Veteran boxing judge, Narciso Martinez, says that he favors the fighter who causes legitimate damage to the other. The boxer who inflicts more punishment or who knocks the opponent out wins. So the boxers box, punch and slug each other causing cuts and welts in the face and body until the bell to end the round or the fight is rang. At times, the punching stops when the referee interferes and signals that one of the protagonists is unable to continue with the fight. The reminder a referee sometimes gives at mid-round is when there is no connection of punches sometime after the round begins. When the fighters merely pose to box and circle the ring no end without contact, I?ve seen referees do the right act. He intervenes in the fandango and tells the boxers to engage and ?destroy? each other. I don?t know what?s in Danrex?s mind. Maybe it?s out of habit outside the ring. Or, that he really wants no serious injury or death would happen in the fight he is involved in. And this is good. But I just can?t help being amused in mentally expressing the unexpressed reminders the referee gives the fighters in my imaginary fight: ?Punches below the belt are no no?, ?Obey my commands at all times?, ?When I say stop, stop?, ?Protect yourself at all times?, ?Now let?s get it on, punch and slug each other, try to knock each other out and God bless?. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Epifanio M. Almeda.  |
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