"DEATH IN THE RING” – PART VI
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 15 Apr 2007
There are a whole gamut of issues that the GAB needs to tackle in a measured, sensible way after the initial furor over Lito Sisnorio’s death dies down. The best way of remembering the young man and all the 33 others who lost their lives in the ring through the years would be to draw up a set of well-thought out regulations and to make sure they are strictly enforced. It is a huge task but it can and must be done.
For instance when does a boxer become a professional? Is it when he gets a medical clearance and pays for a license? Shouldn’t such boxers preparing to make their pro debut be evaluated while in training? Indeed, shouldn’t periodic checks be conducted on fighters in training prior to fights just so as to make sure they are in training not fooling around as has been discovered in the past?
We recall the case of Philippine lightweight champion Fernando Montilla (31-19-3, 22 KO’s) who hardly trained for a fight in Thailand, failed a GAB medical examination when he tested positive for a banned substance but still sneaked out of the country to fight in Srisaket, Thailand where he suffered a TKO at 1:22 of the second round against Yodsanan Sor Nanthchai (46-3-1, 36 KO’s). The GAB immediately suspended Montilla and denied him a license.
Montilla was not paid his purse, languished at the Bangkok airport for more than a day and ultimately returned to Manila, angry and penniless. The man who arranged the fight was the notorious Bong Obero whose real name is Ranilo Terrania. Veteran boxing man and TV analyst Ramon “Moy” Lainez revealed that Montilla hasn’t been paid up to now and both the fighter and his manager Lito Mondejar have been hunting for Obero.
Montilla took a break, kicked the drug-habit and returned to the ring after getting a medical clearance from the GAB. In his first appearance since re-acquiring his license Montilla won the Philippine Boxing Federation lightweight title with a close, ten round split decision win over Arniel Tinampay on February 13, 2007. Montilla returned to Thailand where he completely out-boxed Sataporn Singwangcha but had to settle for a controversial hometown draw.
The match-ups in so-called pro debut fights should be evaluated taking into consideration whether or not a fighter has had previous experience as an amateur boxer. Just one look at newcomers from the famed ALA Gym of respected boxing patron Tony Aldeguer will tell you that they have learned the fundamentals well in an amateur background.
Lainez recalls that in the past there was a GAB official assigned to go around the various boxing gyms “to see to it that all the boxers are training and the ones who will fight are trained.” But former chief of the boxing division Noli Flores stopped it saying ”they don’t have money for transportation so how can they visit the gyms?” That was the time of Chairman Eduardo Villanueva. Lainez said he told Flores, “the chairman has a discretionary fund, get the money from there.” But it didn’t happen.
With the tremendous popularity of boxing especially since the emergence of Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao who has inspired countless young fighters and united a nation behind him, congress should consider allocating a substantial budget specifically for the GAB boxing division to help Buhain streamline its operations, recruit genuinely qualified individuals and set-up the various mechanisms that would protect the fighters and enhance the sport.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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