Heeding to Nature or Relying on the Magic of Modern Science in Boxing - Part 2
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 01 Mar 2022
Manny Pacquiao and Yordenis Ugas at the scales.
The popular saying in boxing or sports in general for that matter is that one cannot struggle for long against Father Time.
There is a long list of boxers or athletes who faced inglorious or ignominious end to their otherwise highly distinguished careers because they can no longer defy old or well advanced age.
There's Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Roy Jones, Jr and our own Flash Elorde and Manny Pacquiao to remind us, "We cannot beat Father Time."
But there's an even more telling and encompassing old Chinese saying that also applies to sports, boxing in particular: "Man cannot fight nature."
Day of the Fight Vs Day Before the Fight
Good fighters stay in shape and not get to shape.
That's according to all time great Archie Moore who said that was the secret to his legendary longevity. To think that Moore fought at the era of day of the fight weigh in that gave very limited leeway for any bullcrap that could ruin a fighter's chance to make the regulation weight limit.
I think I still caught the tail-end of that era of fair practice and most fighter's adhere to Moore's code and were very honest with their weight vis a vis the division they fought in.
I don't remember our best fighters as Flash Elorde, Pedro Adigue and Rene Barrientos having weight problems in their divisions back then although they, from time to time, like others, figured in so called overweight non title fights mostly abroad when they had no scheduled major fights. Elorde even reigned and campaigned for a time as OPBF lightweight champion in between defenses of his world Jr lightweight title to test the waters in the next higher class. Even so, Elorde never had to do with the weigh scales in his original weight division, i.e. junior lightweight.
The problem I think started when authorities changed the rule to what still is in practice today as the day before the fight weigh-in which gave fighters much leeway to make the regulation limit of their weight class. They claimed that the change was out of health and safety considerations noting the spate of ring fatalities traced to the rigors and debilitating effects of meeting the weight limit.
Appeared noble, but the change looking deeply was like tolerating weight tampering and bullying, or outright cheating. For why would a fighter insists on still fighting in a division he had outgrown or he would have the advantages being physically bigger once he made the weight in the weigh-in? It's like sacrifice now for gratification later.
The change obviously favored the Caucasians who are naturally bigger than Asians and Latinos and of African descent except the Afro Americans or Europeans. Especially so when the rule says they could come to the fight no more than two weight classes higher than the regulation weigh-in weight! We usually saw that in the fights of Manny Pacquiao at welterweight where with very few exceptions, he was pitted against virtual middleweights including his last bout versus the tall and lanky Yordenis Ugas.
Worst, the practice abetted the employment of so called modern sports science and medicine to enable fighters to manage and virtually tamper with their actual weights to suit the regulations.. Hence so called physical conditioning coaches, nutritionists and dieticians became as essential as trainers themselves.
But woe to particularly most Filipino fighters who are honest with their weights and weight classes and could not afford the magic of modern sports science to also enjoy its boon and make them at least fairly competitive.
But then again, there have been Filipino fighters who have been enticed or recruited mostly by Western boxing trainers, gyms and promoters in availing of the so called magic of modern sports science in furthering their boxing careers.
But in a number of cases, top Pinoy fighters including a few world titlists ended up virtually losing their fights and crowns at the weigh scales in vain attempt to defy nature through so called modern sports science.
I think we can add Jerwin Ancajas to this list.
To be continued
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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