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Arnel Dunal deserves a re-match with Al Sabaupan By Epifanio M. Almeda PhilBoxing.com Mon, 08 Nov 2010 The fight between undefeated lightweights Al Sabaupan and Arnel Donal at the Ynares Gym in Pasig City last Friday, 5 November 2010, evening ended with a unanimous 95-92 win for Sabaupan. It was an exciting give and take fight unlike the Brian Viloria, Rodel Mayol and Denver Cuello fights which were one-sided in their favor ending in TKOs. But the Sabaupan-Dunal fight was not without controversy. From where I sat, I saw in one of the earlier rounds the faces of both fighters still touching each other as they straightened themselves up from a crouching position clinch. Then I saw head moved hard to the right disengaging Sabaupan?s face from Dunal?s. Donal?s act could be seen either as one of a push to disengage the touching skins of their sweaty faces or an intentional head butt. The referee ruled it as the latter and Donal was deducted a point. An accidental clash of heads midway in the fight also caused a cut on Sabaupan and, as the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) rule provides, a point was also deducted from Donal?s score. The GAB rule of a point deduction to be meted on the uncut boxer in an accidental clash of heads resulting to a cut where the fight continues is also a WBC rule. The WBO doesn?t deduct a point in a similar situation. I was not a judge of the fight and I?m not now sure what the other point deduction was for. It could have been for another accidental clash of heads resulting to another cut on Sabaupan. Had Donal not been deducted a total of 3 points the fight could have ended in a draw. The controversy is when a Sabaupan full force left hook, and Sabaupan is a southpaw, landed right on the button below Dunal?s belt line midway in the 8th round. Dunal grimaced in pain and fell face and belly down near his corner. He looked like he wasn?t getting up. With the effect of the foul punch on Dunal, the referee could have deducted a point from Sabaupan?s score. But this is, as Judge Raul Mandin puts it, a referee?s ?judgment call?. While Dunal remained on the canvas on what seemed to be an eternity in boxing, I was thinking if he was or his corner men were aware of or could recall the ?no foul rule? in a fight. The ?no foul rule? provides that if Dunal isn?t up and ready to resume fighting after the lapse of five (5) minutes, he loses by a technical knockout. The foul shot is not an excuse for him not to continue fighting. After all, a boxer dons a groin protector during a fight. And Dunal must get up on his own, unaided. The minutes ticked by and Dunal still wasn?t showing signs that he was getting up. Then one of Dunal?s corner men got inside the ring, got a good hold of Dunal and lifted him up. Dunal could have been disqualified at that point stopping the fight. But the fight was allowed to continue. While Dunal got point deductions which made him lose the fight which could have ended in a draw as shown by the 3-point final score difference had there been no cuts due to accidental clash of heads and ?judgment calls? going Sabaupan?s way, he escaped disqualification. Overall Sabaupan made a good account of himself in the fight as an IBF regional lightweight champion. He just met an equal in Arnel Dunal. But as is now a clich?, ?someone?s ?0? has got to go? and Dunal?s went. It was an evenly matched fight and Dunal?s fighting days are still bright. There are only a few Filipino lightweight boxers. Al Sabaupan and Arnel Dunal could still be meeting each other in the ring. And Dunal deserves a re-match with Sabaupan. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Epifanio M. Almeda.  |
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