Another unfair decision in world boxing

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

 

I’M SURE you and thousand other boxing aficionados who watched the latest world title fight (Pinoy vs. Pinoy) between Donnie Nietes and Aston Palicte for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) super flyweight (115lbs) crown last September 9 held in Inglewood, California, found the controversial split draw a decision of the three judges as evidenced by spectators inside the venue as indecisive and unfair to Niete. Even the crowd, mostly Filipinos, booed the decision saying the fellow from Murcia, Negroes Occidental, Nietes, clearly won the showdown.  The first judge scored it 118-110 for Nietes, the second judge scored it 116-112 for Palicte, and the third judge tallied it even,114-114.  I scored the bout 117-111 for Nietes.

Unknown perhaps to many, I used to be an amateur boxer during my younger days aside from being a professional cyclist at the same time starting in 1967 at the age of 21. Yes, I knew the basics and fundamentals of this contact sport having been trained by pre-war Oriental bantamweight champion Kid Arca, my town mate. But I stopped eventually to concentrate on my original sport – cycling, and the rest was history.  However, my passion for boxing never waned.  It became my second favorite sport. I always follow the results of world professional and amateur fights, including the Olympics and Asian Games especially when my first boxing idol Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali) won the light heavyweight gold in 1960 Rome Olympic Games and during the era of Cebuano first great fighter Gabriel “Flash” Elorde.

National sports columnists like Bill Velasco, commentators like Ed Tolentino and American Max Kellerman also felt Nietes clearly won the fight. The decision was clearly a very unfair to Nietes and denied him his fourth world tiara in different divisions. Nietes used to be a minimum weight king, light flyweight title holder and flyweight champion. But despite the draw verdict, Nietes humbly accepted the decision. No sour grapping and no entitlement. Humbly, he said, “Talagang ganyan lang sa boxing.”

That verdict recalled to mind the first WBO world welterweight title fight between Filipino boxing icon Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley, Jr. of which Bradley won by draw to seize the title. The unfair decision resulted in catcalls from boxing followers all over the world especially the Filipinos and including Pacquiao’s arch-foe Juan Manuel Marquez as well as Top Rank Promotions czar Bob Arum. Pundits said it was a ploy for a rematch. They were right. Return bouts were done twice and Pacman winning convincingly won the second and the third encounters to take back the diadem.

Meanwhile, the WBO super flyweight crown remains vacant and many say there’s a big possibility that Nietes, 36, and Palicte, 29, will fight anew and probably this time either in Manila or in Cebu City. If that happens, for sure I will surely watch it because Nietes is my second Filipino idol in boxing after Pacman. Nietes is undefeated for the last 14 years and the longest reigning Filipino world champion with a total record of 47 fights, 41 wins and 23 by knockouts, one loss and five draws. I honestly believe that soon, he will be included in the prestigious world Hall of Fame recipients like Pacman.
Let’s wait and see.

*                *                *                *

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible. MARK 10: 27

 

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments