KOMANISI BLASTS HOMETOWN FANS FOR CHEERING FOR FILIPINO ROLI GASCA IN TITLE FIGHT
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 17 Dec 2014
IBO featherweight champion Kusanda ?Schoolboy? Komanisi has blasted his hometown fans for cheering for his opponent, Filipino Roli ?Zuma? Gasca, in their title fight which the South African won by a controversial split decision at the Orient Theater in East London on Tuesday, Manila Time.
One judge scored the fight for Gsca 116-112 while the two other judges scored it for Komanisi 115-113 and 116-112.
Gasca?s trainer Edmund Villamor said ?the hometown decision was booed by the fans? which was confirmed by the report of well-known South African boxing writer Mesuli Zifo who said the champion was visibly upset when his hometown fans ?openly cheered for visiting Filipino boxer Roli Gasca.?
Zifo said the knockout specialist Komanisi was expected to easily blow away Gasca and add to his impressive record of 17 knockouts in 18 wins but he ?puffed and huffed throughout the bout characterized by posing and wild misses which turned the fans against him who opted to cheer for the Filipino probably because of his ?Zuma? monicker which is the surname of the South African president Jacob Zuma.?
Buoyed by the cheers every time he landed a blow Gasca upped the tempo and drilled Komanisi with two punch combinations that sent the hall into raptures.?
Zifo noted that throughout Komanisi?s theatrics Gasca maintained his cool and continued to plod forward and land his punches which counted on the scorecards.
It was Gasca?s second loss in a row in South Africa having lost to the much bigger Thabo Sonjica in a battle for the vacant IBO super bantamweight title in which Sonjica came in several pounds over the limit and lost his chance to win the title on the scales.
The 25 year old Gasca dropped to 22-6 with 6 knockouts after his third attempt to win the title having earlier lost by a unanimous decision to rugged Russian Alexander Bakhtin in September 2008.
Photo: Gasca (R) in action against Sonjica.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Apolinario to fight Hu in Japan
By Lito delos Reyes, Mon, 21 Apr 2025Warriors Shoot Down Rockets, 95-85 as Celtics, Cavaliers, Thunder Take Care of Business
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Mon, 21 Apr 20252025 USA Boxing International Open Finalized on Saturday
Mon, 21 Apr 2025Verano to face Thai in Clash of Nations on April 24
By Lito delos Reyes, Mon, 21 Apr 2025Masangkay to fight Ocampo in JAS on April 23
By Lito delos Reyes, Sun, 20 Apr 2025Denver Holds Off LA Clippers in OT, 112-110
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Sun, 20 Apr 2025Arca clinches 3rd and final IM norm; Guns for GM norm in last round
By Marlon Bernardino, Sun, 20 Apr 2025IN HER GOLDEN GIRL ERA: GABRIELA “SWEET POISON” FUNDORA SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDS UNDISPUTED TITLE AGAINST MARILYN BADILLO
Sun, 20 Apr 2025Fundora Retains Undisputed Flyweight Titles; Perez Shocks Conwell in Oceanside
Sun, 20 Apr 2025Dalton Smith Drops Mathieu German Three Times, Retains WBC Silver Title
Sun, 20 Apr 2025Filipino GM Antonio beats Serbia's IM for share of lead in Caberra Chess Tournament
By Marlon Bernardino, Sun, 20 Apr 2025Villanueva to fight Antaran on April 27 in Gensan
By Lito delos Reyes, Sun, 20 Apr 2025MASOUD AND MCGRAIL CLASH IN ALL-BRITISH SHOWDOWN
Sun, 20 Apr 2025Semifinals Conclude at 2025 USA Boxing International Open
Sun, 20 Apr 2025FM Arca is inching closer to his 3rd and final IM norm
By Marlon Bernardino, Sun, 20 Apr 2025