MANILA, Philippines — Self-styled sportsmen who promoted Donnie Nietes’ defense of his World Boxing Organization Asia Pacific 105-lb crown should congratulate themselves.
They have, together with unknowing boxing officials, succeeded in staging another colorful mismatch.
The favored Filipino, as could only be expected, won via an early knockout — in the second round.
Spectators at the Victorias City gym in Negros Occidental province, naturally, went home feeling proud and very happy last Saturday.
But not Philippine Daily Inquirer Visayas reporter Cedelf Tupas, who lamented that the badly beaten Thai, Thongthailek Por Vorasing, was undersized and overmatched. The poor Thai, it was reported, could not stand up to the Filipino’s unorthodox style and power.
Their records after last Saturday: Nietes 21-1-3, with 11 knockouts; Thongthailek, 3 wins, 4 losses.
* * *
It was not Nietes’ fault that he turned out to be extremely good and strong for his hapless foe. For one, the Thai was supposedly coming off a win, the only sane reason the fight had to be allowed.
All other things considered though, the Thai stood no chance against his taller (by three inches) and vastly superior foe.
The visitor was already a loser before he could even enter the ring. In fact, there was every reason to believe Thongthailek was being served as a “gift” for the delectation of unknowing provincial fans.
* * *
There was nothing really new here. Those in doubt should also start asking when was the last time they had heard of a Thai winning a bout in provincial cards hereabouts.
Or even in Metro Manila, for that matter.
The truth is that there had been numerous awful mismatches featuring ill-equipped Thai boxers against rising Filipino fighters whose international records had to be embellished.
Now come reports Nietes would next be pitted against world titlist Ivan Calderon of Puerto Rico.
Nothing wrong? Of course, something very wrong has been going on here, too.
The problem is that our national boxing officials, headed by Games and Amusements Board chief Eric Buhain, the way they conduct things, must’ve neither seen nor heard of this malpractice.
* * *
With all his frantic vows for reforms, Buhain could succeed only if he looked at his own backyard. He should start policing his own ranks.
Why? Well, if the Thais have been guilty of staging savage mismatches at the expense of poor Filipino boxers, many among our wily matchmakers here were equally guilty.
“This same practice of bringing in Thai fighters who would often turn out no better than straying barbers and cooks was being done here a long, long time ago,” bared an internationally respected Filipino boxing expert and adviser who requested anonymity.
He singled out a famous father-and-son team in Manila and a popular tandem in the Visayas among the guilty parties.
* * *
But the bigger malady is the inability of the GAB to function effectively.
While top GAB officials would not think twice to pack up and be at ringside in big foreign fights, like those of Manny Pacquiao’s bouts, they were always late in working for reforms.
In a way, these officials could always claim they were helpless, not at fault.
Despite his helplessness, Buhain should at least start and lobby for the establishment of our own Philippine Boxing Commission, similar to the powerful boxing governing bodies in Japan, South Korea, Thailand, to name only three Asian neighbors.
The best that the GAB has is a boxing division, which is nothing more than a licensing and supervising body.
A Philippine Boxing Commission, needless to say, could be trusted to wield its full powers and, at the same time, stand up to big challenges and responsibilities.
It won’t be a mere spectator that resorts to finger-pointing during crisis.
It should fight evil, and disallow hideous mismatches featuring Thai clowns in our revered boxing rings.
