MANILA, Philippines — They suffered similar fates — they lost in world title bids — but Filipino Rodel Mayol and Mexican icon Erik Morales wore contrasting masks of defeat inside the ring in Chicago Sunday.
Mayol smiled a blank, stupid smile after suffering a stoppage and picking himself from the floor in the eighth round.
He definitely knew he had lost.
Morales, who had reigned in three different boxing divisions, was expressionless, not issuing a whimper after the judges ruled him loser on points in his masterful bid for a fourth world crown.
He must’ve felt he had suffered another injustice, but he took the verdict stoically.
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After four rounds in the main undercard featuring Mayol against World Boxing Council junior flyweight titlist Ulises Solis of Mexico, my kumpadre Manny Pi?ol called to wonder why the Filipino bet, despite all the glowing advance notices, was fighting a soft, tentative fight.
Mayol, after a slow, loose start, often left his head uncovered. But turning hot and a little sharp starting in the fifth round, he sent Solis wobbly with a killer right in the sixth.
Mayol was just one good blow from his dream world crown.
Sorry, but our man became frantic. He suddenly went blind and dove for the kill like a swimmer grabbing greedily at a hazy gem on the ocean floor.
OK, it soon became clear that Mayol worked extra hard to wield championship artillery.
However, he obviously forgot his inside defense in the dugout.
An over-excited Mayol got floored with a lightning-rod right to the chin and was counted out in the eighth round.
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Well, for the luckless boxer from Mandaue City, there may be a third chance for a world crown.
There’s a problem here, though. Mayol was a lot sharper in his first failed bid for the WBC 105-lb crown of Eagle Kyowa at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo in May 2006.
Of course, Mayol faded rapidly in that fight starting in the seventh round after dominating the champion in the first half of the 12-round duel.
A few more days of sustained hard work for Mayol could’ve made the difference in Tokyo.
But what was clearly lacking for him in Chicago Sunday was his vaunted sharpness and focus.
It’s a must for his handlers to first subject Mayol to a thorough heart-and-head check before sending him back on a world title chase.
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At least two other Filipinos in the card, Bernabe Concepcion and Mercito Gesta, won their Chicago bouts Sunday.
Concepcion stopped Gabriel Elizondo in the fourth to capture the vacant North American Boxing Federation superbantamweight crown, while superfeatherweight Gesta decisioned Carlos Madrid.
Please note that these twin triumphs by Pinoy pugs were scored over Mexican foes.
You see, these fights may have nothing to do with the World Cup of Boxing slated in Sacramento, California, featuring seven Filipinos against seven Mexicans.
But in the post-fight dinner hosted by Chicago-based Filipino sportsman Rolando Hiso at his residence, there were suggestions that the 2-1 edge scored by Filipino boxers over Mexican foes Sunday could also serve as a fitting countdown to the siete contra siete encuentro in sweet, old Sacramento on Saturday (Sunday, Aug. 12, in Manila).
The fights will be covered by ABS-CBN.
