JUST A week and a half ago, we registered in this column (The Scene Around, March 9) our agreement with Gerry Pe?alosa’s assessment that he could take WBO Super Bantamweight champion Daniel Ponce de Leon (DPL) in their title fight in Las Vegas last weekend.
Obviously we can’t very well claim “I told you so”, because de Leon was adjudged the winner by unanimous decision. But Gerry proved most boxing pundits wrong with the classy performance he put up Saturday night (Las Vegas time) against a prohibitive favorite. The Negros Oriental native parlayed his boxing skills and dogged determination to convince not a few that he was indeed, worthy of his claim to the title
Ponce de Leon himself grudgingly admitted the error of his pre-fight mindset. He had opined that there was no way Gerry could put up with his power as the Filipino was too small for him, his camp even raising fears for Gerry’s safety.
Not only did Pe?alosa turn out to be only the third fighter to last the distance with Ponce de Leon in the latter’s 31 wins, he had the champion frustrated. DPL lamely claims he hurt Gerry, but that the Filipino pugilist was just in tip-top shape.
A left-handed compliment if I ever heard one.
Truth is, Gerry showed the WBO Super Bantamweight a thing or twelve about the sweet science and it was evident throughout the fight. The Mexican champion labored to solve the problem named Pe?alosa but every time he went in to unload his much-vaunted killer blows, he was met with accurate and clear counter-punches by the diminutive challenger. Several times he looked perplexed as to where the punches came from; that’s how fast and skillful a boxer Gerry is.
Sensing the futility of mixing it up, the champion did what had to be done to save the crown. He ran away from the fight, content with picking his punches and staying away from a close confrontation. Not very champion-like, but it was enough to keep the title, criticism and jeering be damned.
And the judges fell for it. Nay, they fell flat out for it. The lopsided scores they turned in would have been fodder for an Ading Fernando script. Two judges had Gerry winning only one round; the third found no redeeming value whatsoever in Gerry’s efforts, and gave him a fat egg.
Now, I am not prepared to take issue with the end-result which was a Ponce de Leon win. I said then and I say again now- a close fight can go either way, we all have to live with that. But as with the Montiel-Gorres mishap, I am curious as to the brain patterns of these mammals who are supposed to be authorities in appreciating the sport.
Are they so far removed from the rest of us that they are able to see a fight so much differently from millions who witnessed the same scene both live and on TV? What are they watching with, Mexican-tinted glasses?
Both controversial decisions in Cebu and Las Vegas were made under the auspices of the World Boxing Organization, which chose the personnel since it was after all, their world title at stake.
Of late, the WBO has been aggressively targeting some semblance of respect and prestige that would place them on the level of the better-known boxing associations such as the WBC and the IBF.
With the kind of laughable decisions coming out of the last two title fights involving Manny Pacquiao compatriots, they are sure going about it in mindboggling fashion.
This is probably as propitious a time as any to raise questions about the back-to-back curiosities which were the amusing scoring in the Montiel-Gorres and Ponce de Leon-Penalosa fights. Perhaps Chairman Eric Buhain and his commissioners, who have been very active and visible in international boxing circles, could raise the issue with their foreign counterparts with the end in view of getting us a fair shake. We do not seek preferential treatment, just an even playing field. Or at the very least, more credible ring officials.
Manny Pacquiao is not our only fighter, after all.
