HOW do you conduct an impromptu celebration to mark the end of a world title drought and possibly the beginning of a new dominant era?
Over steaming hot bowls of pochero, of course and enough food to feed the Third World. The tab was reportedly worth a month?s pay for most of us. Whew!
But it was all worth it, as the grand patron of Cebu boxing, Antonio L. Aldeguer, who can now proudly claim a true world champ from his stable, was in his element, treating family, friends, boxers, trainers, and the media to a nightcap to celebrate Donnie Nietes? unanimous decision win over Pornsawan Kratingdaenggym for the WBO minumweight crown.
Of course, the last rounds overflowed and those assembled had a grand time swapping tales, on and off the record.
It was a relief seeing him in such a gregarious mood, a far cry from the pensive and fidgety father figure who a few hours earlier, wasn?t at ease with his ward?s performance.
Alternately sitting down with furrowed brows and strutting over to Donnie?s corner to give him piece of his mind, Antonio Aldeguer actually made all of us seated near him at ringside very nervous.
I don?t blame him. After the fight, he confided to us that he had told Donnie that the fight would not be won on skills alone?which Donnie had abundantly?but on heart.
Pornsawan?s foes were vanquished when they dropped out due to exhaustion as a result of his relenting pressure, not because of his skills or power.
In the middle rounds, Donnie couldn?t find an answer to Pornsawan?s bullying tactics as he inexplicably abandoned his game plan, and engaged the Thai in a shoving match which sapped him of his strength. Luckily for him, he came to his senses and boxed intelligently during the championship rounds.
Later, after he had finished eating like an abandoned orphan, and still brandishing purplish welts over his forehead, Donnie came over and admitted that he lost some of his strength trying to push and shove with the Thai fighter who clearly wanted to tire Donnie out so he could hit him with his crude, clubbing punches.
9/30. As I watched the celebration unfold, I gulped down last round after last round to mark a milestone of my own. Indeed time flies fast as this column turned a year old that same day, Sept. 30, 2007.
Coincidentally, Donnie was the first boxer I ever featured in an interview format. Must have been providential as a few days later, the kid goes on to become a world champion. Check out my pic with Donnie a few days before the fight, courtesy of that genius from www.philboxing.com, Dong Secuya.
My gratitude goes out to my editors, Homer Sayson, Marit Remonde, my media brethren, and to you my last rounders for your support. Cheers!
BRING A HELMET. And AJ Banal? He obliterated his hapless Mexican foe, Esau Gaona, in less the amount of time it will take you to read this column. Poor guy, his corner committed a serious blunder when they left him at the mercy of AJ?s murderous punches without a
mouthpiece. A devastating knockdown later, he motioned to his corner men to give him his mouthpiece, but it didn?t help matters. He was dropped two more times in a span of 10 seconds. They should have given him a helmet, not a mouthpiece.
QUOTE OF THE YEAR. On this column?s birthday, allow me share with you this wonderful verse from the book ?A Fighter?s Heart? by Sam Sheridan. Sam is a writer who ventured into the mix martial arts world. He explains why he does what he does:
?You have a specific responsibility to existence, to God if you like, to taste, touch, and smell what is there to experience. You have to do everything. If given an option between doing something and not doing it, have to do it; because you?ve already done the not do it part.?
THE LAST ROUND. It is on my buddy, Balintawak Master Eddy Basa who celebrates his birthday this week. Cheers!
