ON Sunday, August 12, world featherweight title contender, Lorenzo ?Thunderbolt? Villanueva, once touted as a future world champion because of his tremendous power and big heart, struggled past a certified journeyman, Sonny Gonzales, winning by disqualification in the 6th round of a 10-round fight after he was downed by three successive low blows.
It was a frustrating sight, for me especially, seeing such a raw talent as Villanueva moving awkwardly inside the ring, throwing punches from all directions and fighting like a young lad who was wearing the boxing gloves for the first time.
Villanueva, who before his first attempt at the world title in May this year, held a spectacular record of 25 wins, 24 KOs and one No Contest, was hurt in the second round by Gonzales (18 wins, 16 losses) when he was tagged with a powerful left to the jaw. It was only his big heart which enabled him to come back in the latter part of that round and also hurt Gonzales.
In his fight against Indonesia?s Daud Yordan on May 5 at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, Villanueva had the IBO [International Boxing Organization] title within his grasp when he knocked down Yordan with a powerful left early in the first round.
But he squandered the opportunity of becoming a world champion by ignoring the instructions of his corner and going all out against the wily and veteran Yordan with all guns blazing. He missed with so many haymakers that by the start of the second round, he was spent and ripe for the picking by the former Olympic fighter from Indonesia.
Last Sunday?s fight was Villanueva?s first since losing in his world title bid. It was also his first fight since I entrusted him to veteran Filipino boxing manager and trainer Aljoe Jaro who was also grimacing in fear and concern at ringside as he watched Villanueva flirt with disaster in his fight against Gonzales.
?He does not listen. He has too much confidence in his power. We have to change that,? Aljoe told me after Villanueva was declared winner by disqualification.
Aljoe still hopes he could change Villanueva.
But I was deeply disappointed and frustrated. In fact, the morning after that fight, I sat down with Villanueva and Jaro in my farm.
In front of Jaro, I told Villanueva how bad I felt that after all of the support given him, he has remained hardheaded and refused to follow the instructions of his corner during the actual fights.
Villanueva was apologetic and promised the do better in the next fight.
His next fight could be his last with the Braveheart Boxing Club.
I told Villanueva that if he will not follow the instructions of his corner and continue to ignore what he learned during the training, his next fight could be his last with Braveheart.
All these years, I have persevered in molding young boxers into respectable fighters. My brothers and I have spent a fortune supporting these boys hoping that with our help, they will be able to lift themselves out of poverty.
But there is a limit to my patience. There is an imaginary boundary beyond which we cannot allow mediocrity to continue.
On October 10, Villanueva will be pitted against Japan?s Kenichi Yamaguchi, who like him failed in his bid for the world title when he was stopped by the tough Orlando Salido in the 11th round of their fight.
This will be a very tough fight for Villaneva. Yamaguchi is durable and could easily fight for a full 12-rounds.
But this could be the fight which will define the future for Villanueva. If he will once again display the mediocrity he has shown in his fights against Yordan and Gonzales, Villanueva will have to go.
On the same night Villanueva gave me and my brothers heartache for his lackluster performance, former journeyman Ryan Rae Ponteras proved to be an inspiration for us to help other struggling boxers as he displayed spectacular boxing skills in avenging a defeat to fellow journeyman Amerro Ricablanca early on in his career.
Ponteras, 22, was jokingly called the ?Six Division Fighter? because prior to his joining the Braveheart Boxing Club, his manager would pit him against boxers in 105 to 122-lb. category.
With a record of 8 wins, 9 losses and 1 draw, my brothers and I decided to take Ponteras in last year. Since then, he has already scored four straight victories, three of these by KO.
In his fight against Ricablance, which he won by a one-sided unanimous decision, Ponteras displayed spectacular boxing talent which impressed even the veteran trainer Jaro who said that given a little more power, Ryan Rae could yet be the biggest revelation in Philippine boxing.
There were other inspiring fights Sunday night.
Seventeen-year-old Roskie Cristobal, 5′ 10″ tall, scored his fourth consecutive first round knockout victory in the junior lightweight division over Rommel dela China while another big boy, Louie Yunting, 21, who stands 5′ 9″ scored his 5th professional victory in the junior lightweight division with a 3rd round TKO over Hagibis Quinones.
Other fight results: Edrin Dapudong won over Nelso Llanos, KO 1st round of 10 rounds; PH No. 1 ranked junior featherweight Ronnie Apilado won by TKO over Rolando Omela, 2nd round of 8; Joemer Lumacad won over Randy Gomez by unanimous decision in six rounds.
