WBA Agrees to Dialogue With GAB To Discuss its Latest "Atrasos"
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 09 Feb 2022
GAB Chairman Mitra (L) and WBA president Mendoza (R).
The Filipino term "atraso" is derived from Portuguese word atraso which means delay or arrears. However, as we use it casually or colloquially, the word connotes more of "sins or shortcomings" on one end or "abuse or excess" as in the exercise of authority for example, on the other.
The long list of atrasos of the World Boxing Association or WBA dates back to the day's when it was still the officially recognized sole world boxing sanctioning organization, a virtual monolith.
The biggest insult Philippine boxing and the Filipino people had to endure from the WBA was its summarily dropping Gabriel Flash Elorde from its world ratings at junior lightweight barely days or weeks after Elorde lost his world championship on points to Japanese Yoshiaki Numata in 1967.
That injustice caused Philippine boxing authorities to not only gravitate towards but take leading roles in the institutionalisation of the breakaway rival World Boxing Council or WBC in late 60s mainly through then Games and Amusement Board (GAB) Chairman Justiniano Montano and his right hand man Rudy Salud who were both lawyers.
But even then the Philippines kept its membership and good relationship with the WBA which continue to these days.
However, the atraso continues to pile up.
Most controversial was ordering an immediate rematch between Filipino world junior lightweight titlist Ben Villaflor and Puerto Rican challenger Sammy Serrano which was held in San Juan, Puerto Rico in the late 70s which led to Villaflor losing his crown. It was no secret that Serrano for unexplained reason was a protected fair haired boy of the WBA for much of the rest of the 70s and early 80s
But current GAB Chairman Abraham Khalil Mitra is not about to give up hopes and add the Philippines among the alleged growing list of boxing countries ready to junk the WBA for good and for keeps.
Last month, the GAB sent a letter and endorsed letters from the camp of deposed WBA minimumweight titlist Vic Saludar addressed to the WBA protesting the irregular conduct and questionable result of Saludar's failed title defense against Dominican Republic's Erick Rosa Pacheco in Sto. Domingo on December 4, 2021.
The complaint letters included the delayed release of Saludar's full fight purse, the assignment of an All Latino ring officials including a Dominican fight judge and a Latino WBA referee to officiate a world title fight which should have been called by officials from neutral countries or at least has a Filipino judge to balance things out. Saludar camp likewise protested the questionable knockdown assessed against the Filipino that allowed Pacheco to win on two on three scorecards, most decisively on his fellow Dominican judge.
But days and weeks passed without any hint of response from the WBA to any of the letters.
Perhaps nearing exasperation, Mitra decided to send a follow up letter addressed directly to WBA President Gilberto Mendoza and requested for a constructive dialogue to discuss and address not only the Saludar protest and complaint but two other recent issues that had remained unresolved to this day despite GAB official intercession.
Mitra wanted the WBA to explain and resolve with finality hopefully the unceremoniously stripping of fighting Senator Manny Pacquiao of his world welterweight super championship last year and the questionable technical decision title retention win awarded Thailand's Thamanon Niyomtrong who allegedly ought to lose by TKO to Filipino challenger ArAr Andales sometime in 2018 on account of eyelid cut caused by legal blows. The referee of that fight ruled that the cut was caused by head clashes which was impossible given that the cut was in the eyelid area. The referee furthermore after consultation with the Thai camp ordered the resort to judges scorecards after stopping the contest.
Recently, perhaps under pressure from Filipino boxing media who wrote about the seeming inaction on the matters, the WBA finally responded via a briefly worded letter from Mendoza who apologised for the delayed response and agreed to Mitra's request for a constructive dialogue between the WBA and the GAB. Mendoza even invited Mitra to a virtual meeting via Zoom as soon as possible.
Mitra said the event is set for tomorrow, Thursday February 10 with the time still being finalized considering the difference in time zone. The good GAB chief said he has invited the Saludar and Andales camps to join him in the dialogue.
Hope something concrete and acceptable comes out of this first ever GAB-WBA focused meeting/dialogue.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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