KULARBDANG KIATKRERIN sounds like a mouth-watering Thai dish. He’s not.
Jun Paderna defended his Pan Asian Boxing Association super featherweight title. He won but grabbed a rare crown.
It was a forgettable period that should mercifully be rated the most hilarious in Philippine boxing.
The Games and Amusements Board last week hosted an international convention built around a seminar on rules and regulations, an awards night and a stellar fight card hosted on Friday by Manila Mayor Lito Atienza at the Rajah Sulaiman Park, off the now world-famous Baywalk.
The main event featured the Kiatkrerin-Paderna super clash for the PABA super featherweight crown held by the Cebu-based slugger.
The fight was supposed to showcase a fine brand of Pinoy boxing, in the tradition of Manny Pacquiao, Brian Viloria and Boom Boom Bautista.
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Paderna won by a mile in the cards of three international judges, including the vastly traveled Salven Lagumbay of the Inquirer.
Raring for a knockout, the flat-footed Paderna stalked his handsome foe with the burning eyes of a cougar that hadn’t devoured a rabbit for over a month.
He slammed, slashed, swung blindly for 12 rounds.
Paderna fought very hungry, thirsting for blood.
However, his winning effort was so wild it should have sent Paderna all the way to the shores of Cavite City had he instead jumped into the Manila Bay across the street, a few steps from the boxing ring.
Of course, the foreign reps to the international boxing convention had not seen anything of the sort before.
Paderna, a rarity, has just crowned himself the newest phenomenon in Philippine sports.
Here’s one wonder boy who has retained an international boxing crown via a burning, muscular display of swimming skills inside the ring.
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Naturally, Paderna got his belt, a green goldware wrapped around his waist to the reluctant applause of displeased spectators.
But before it’s too late, we hereby recommend the winner and still champ for a separate award.
He should be handed the distinction as the swimming wonder of world boxing.
Hold it. This proposal should first be reviewed for approval by the main host, GAB chair Eric Buhain.
In case sports fans have forgotten, Buhain, son-in-law of Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, was himself a national swimming hero two decades back and 30 pounds ago.
The Paderna win, indeed, was a new high for RP swimming.
Buhain, appearing quite fulfilled in a handsome brown suit, should be congratulated.
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There were other reasons to rejoice.
The card itself, said to have cost P1.6 million, was not an out-and-out steal.
The sideshow, starring concert queen Pops Fernandez, classy songstress Jennifer Bautista, together with sultry native round dolls, was first class.
The local refs, headed by Ber Abainza and Ferdie Estrella, were first rate.
The judges were sharp, despite doing their chores for a song.
Oh, the Thai. He did not prove any better than a straying cook.
But despite checking in with the wan build of an undertaker, he survived 12-rounds of soggy, watery bombardment, his handsome hairdo intact.
You heard it. It was a slam-bang main event, so advised the Solar Sports commentators of the sleepy affair.
Thank you, sirs.
Thank you again, Sir Eric.
On the way to the Rumble by the Bay, centerpiece of the rehearsal for the forthcoming WBC Convention here, we discovered a new swimming hero.
Nothing could be rarer, truly world-class.
