Promoter Bob Arum is standing with his fighter Juan Manuel Lopez in reaction to a one year ring ban handed down Tuesday by the boxing commission in Puerto Rico. “It’s absurd,” the 80 year old head of Top Rank said by telephone. “It is too severe, especially considering the remarks (alleging that referee Roberto Ramirez had gambling ties) were made when Juan Ma was concussed, when he had just been knocked out by (Orlando) Salido. “I mean, maybe I could see this if those comments were made the next day or something, when the fighter’s head was clear but this was not the situation here. That’s like penalizing somebody for making these kind of remarks when they’re drunk.” If it’s not illegal to do so, I must concur with Uncle Bob on this one. While I’m sure the estimable Puerto Rican ref was stung by the remarks, they were only dumb comments made by a sore loser, what with Mexican Salido thumping supposed superstar Juan Ma for a second time in a Puerto Rican ring no less.
Salido and Lopez exchanged knockdowns before the visitor won on a 10th round TKO on March 10 in San Juan.
In a press conference to clean up the verbal mess, Lopez for some reason “apoligized” to “the people of Puerto Rico.”
He did say he was “embarrassed about what I said because I said things perhaps in a way that I don’t even remember…”
Maybe he should’ve watched a video replay of his scurrilous comments about the integrity and honesty of Ramirez.
Too bad Lopez or his so-called advisers fumbled the half-baked apology. But I doubt anyone who knows the referee and/or the general public took Lopez’s not so fine “whine” seriously.
Let the punishment fit the crime, right? This smorgabord of pugilistic penalties doesn’t fit at all. Not a one year ban for a fighter who turns 29 on June 30. The $10,000 fine and the 100 hours of community services are not without merit but couldn’t the ban be for six months? I’m just sayin’.
