MANILA, Philippines — Sportsman Tony Aldeguer has a big problem and he must be told about it. Right now!
Mr. Aldeguer, pardon this, is too much of a gentleman.
Saturday night out there at Cebu Sports Complex, Aldeguer walked close to referee Sammy Viruet and told the sweaty visitor he won the fight for defending world super flyweight champion Fernando Montiel.
Of course, Aldeguer was very mad.
Just like everybody out there at the overfilled stands, Aldeguer could’ve spat at the cheating ref.
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Viruet actually deserved a whole stinking can of slum garbage dumped over his dirty head. He had just completed one of the biggest robberies in a world championship.
He stole from the young Z Gorres a world crown which the sharp, vastly improved boxer honestly deserved.
Viruet slapped two point deductions — in the 10th and 12 rounds — from Gorres without a single warning.
The result was a dubious split decision for the badly beaten Montiel, who looked every inch the true loser.
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Well, maybe Aldeguer, in black T-shirt and slacks with matching black rubber shoes, wanted to tear at Viruet.
You know, just like all the fans who witnessed the crime and who themselves felt greatly robbed.
Said Emy Martinez, a young housewife from Mandaluyong now living in Cebu: “How bad, how sad. I caught the replay of the rounds. Quinito Henson said, “I’m shocked, I’m stunned.’”
Reported Henson himself: “Montiel could not believe his luck. He was lucky to escape with his crown. Tony Aldeguer, who bankrolled the event, said: ‘We put on a good show for the fans. We showed that a skillful fighter can also be exciting. I’m very disappointed but we’ll move on. I’m proud of Gorres. I know someday he will be a world champion.”
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Well, that’s Mr. Aldeguer for you.
The harshest he could say was, “I’m very disappointed.”
Well, truth is Viruet could’ve perpetuated a crime equal to what that official, who was banned for cheating Flash Elorde in his fight against Sandy Sadler in San Francisco in the late 50s, had done.
The call here is for the banishment of referee Viruet.
In fact, Manny Pacquiao, who witnessed everything from ringside, could not help but shake his head, protest, and say the referee overstepped the bounds.
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Naturally, Gorres was in tears, mumbling incoherently, as he walked past shocked fans, on the way to the dugout.
Gorres had completed a masterpiece in tactical boxing. He came up with one of the finest international displays of craft and grit by a Filipino fighter.
Now, they’re saying Gorres lost because he could not hit strong enough.
There were taunts Gorres could not stop his foe because he would pinch instead of punch.
Maybe. But Pacquiao, a supreme knockout artist, was himself caught swooning as Gorres dominated most of the rounds before fading in the homestretch.
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Reviewing the scores, this reporter had the outclassed Montiel winning only two — the 3rd and 7th — of the first nine rounds.
Then came the deduction in the 10th before the coup in the final round.
Anyway, as a consolation, the WBO announced it would retain Gorres as its No. 1 super flyweight contender.
Who knows? There could be a rematch within the year.
However, there’s no assurance two of the three judges — Chuck Giampa and Rafael Caiz Sr. — would not be around if and when Gorres fights Montiel again.
Giampa and Caiz, who must’ve been scoring another bout, both scored it for Montiel.
Denny Nielson saw Gorres the clear winner, just like with most others in the huge crowd.
“I scored it as I saw it,” Nielson told journalist Salven Lagumbay as the American judge headed out.
Nielson had the quiet, honest face of a fulfilled priest. Maybe he should also be a candidate as saint of boxing, just like Tony Aldeguer.
