JBC MUM ON TEPURA-KAMEDA FIGHT
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 18 May 2007
The Japan Boxing Commission has remained mum on inquiries regarding its reported sanctioning of a fight between the Philippines Pingpin Tepura and undefeated Japanese Daiki Kameda last April 30 in Shizuoka.
Questions forwarded by Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today last May 9 to the listed executive secretary of the JBC listed in the OPBF directory, Shigeru Kojima, remain unanswered.
The Tepura-Kameda fight was a clear mismatch as indicated by the second round knockout victory of Kameda. The intriguing fact was that Tepura was not rated in the top ten by the Games and Amusements Board and the Japan Boxing Commission has a standing rule that only Filipino boxers in the top ten would be allowed to fight in Japan.
Also, in a strange twist, Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today learned that after suffering a brutal first round knockout at the hands of world-rated Bert Batawang last January 21 in Cebu, Tepura had lost four of his previous five fights which again fell short of the GAB requirement that a fighter had to win at least two of his previous five fights to be allowed to fight abroad.
However, Tepura apparently met the requirement by winning a ten round decision over Jun Pader in Sarangani province last March 12. This was confirmed by Pader’s manager Bernard Uy of Butuan as well as the GAB’s representative in Zamboanga Vicente Cabalog. Curiously, Sarangi falls under the administrative jurisdiction of the GAB regional office in Davao City but the fight was approved by Zamboanga which was an obvious violation of GAB rules and raises questions since the Zamboanga Office was recently accused of submitting fake results among other anomalies.
When asked why the GAB approved the Tepura-Kameda fight, boxing division chief Dr. Nasser Cruz claimed “since the Japan Boxing Commission approved this fight and when the request came here with all the contracts, it was the Japanese side that was asking for the letter of authority, the fight was approved.”
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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