Two-time world boxing champion Gerry Peñalosa is not the type of guy to raise hell.
Now a promoter, Peñalosa, whose illustrious career I covered here and overseas, reached out over the weekend owing to a bizarre incident that took place during one of his shows in Cebu.
You see, Peñalosa is now promoting former national team member Christian Pitt Laurente, who was on deck to serve as a main event fighter.
But Jose Unabia, the ringside doctor assigned for the fight, ruled that Laurente wasn’t fit to fight based on his medical assessment.
“All four undercard fights had already finished and we were getting ready for the main event featuring Laurente when Dr. Unabia said that Laurente won’t be allowed to fight,” complained Peñalosa.
It was a shock ruling made by Unabia since Laurente had undergone a rigorous medical screening before being granted his license by no less than the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) head office in Makati.
“All the requirements Laurente passed and he also did a swab test and quarantine,” Peñalosa added.
Peñalosa said he even got on the phone with the medical division of the GAB’s main office and was told that there was no reason why Unabia would prevent him from fighting since he had been examined.
“I think that Dr. Unabia was power-tripping. When we asked him about his decision to stop Laurente from fighting, he just said that “his (Laurente’s heart) was suspect.”
Still, Peñalosa said why would the GAB grant him a license when he passed his medicals, including an electrocardiogram and brain scan.
Interestingly, Unabia, according to Peñalosa, didn’t perform a new ECG on Laurente.
“I kept on telling him that Laurente was cleared by no less than the GAB main office where we submitted all the medical requirements, including the ECG.”
Peñalosa said the fiasco left him losing money since the fight would have been scheduled for TV viewing.
I then reached out to GAB chairperson Baham Mitra to know more about the incident.
“Due to the decision of the ring physician, Dr. Jose Unabia, based on his medical opinion on the ECG result and Physical Examination conducted upon Mr. Pitt Laurente, said boxer’s bout has been canceled. GAB is going to conduct an inquiry as to this incident, as we have done in the past when ring officials, including ring physicians, calls for a stoppage or for not allowing a boxer to fight. We assure everyone that this inquiry is intended to further enrich and strengthen GAB’s system in accrediting ring physicians,” Mitra said in a text message.
Peñalosa said he will file a complaint with the GAB because of the ugly incident.
Sensing the urgency of the matter, Mitra said the board will discuss the matter.
It seems Dr. J has got a lot of explaining to do.
