How Are We Faring in Our Traditional Weight Classes? (Second of Four Parts)
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 25 Dec 2022
L-R: Casimero, Astrolabio and Donaire.
Introduction
The unbundling of the original eight boxing weight classes has through particularly last more than forty years has resulted in the what we have as 17 Divisions, 18 if we will consider the newly coined bridgerweight class, currently.
Be that as it may, there have been boxing purists that still reckon professional boxing based on the original eight to ten weight classes, i.e. flyweight as the lowest division and the heavyweights as the biggest which it is still now, despite the call by some to institute the so called super heavyweight class. Their main argument is that the original weight classes have been instituted based on sound scientific grounds taking into consideration physical and physiological factors, though those were determined more than a century ago.
Purists agreed to give some more grounds beginning the late 80s though as the combined factors of physiologically growing population and the fact that the weight difference in certain higher divisions is indeed too huge to overcome or compensate( especially for those moving up, or down, in weight), resulted to the creation of the minimumweight otherwise known as straw weight as the smallest division and the institution of the light/junior and super classes between and among the other divisions.
From the dawn of boxing back at the turn of the last century and through the years and decades that followed, Filipino boxers have established themselves and even created a niche in certain weight classes, particularly in the flyweight and lightweight divisions, to include the junior and super classes.
In the initial part, we reviewed and discussed how Filipino fighters fared in the past three to five years in what used to be a gold mine division, the flyweights, which for the purpose of this study, included the minimumweight and the light flyweight classes. We are not doing well especially in the main flyweight class (maximum weight limit of 112 lbs) where we have not produced a major world champion since Brian Viloria and Donnie Nietes in 2017.
In this second part, we will dissect our performance in the bantamweight division (maximum weight limit of 118 lbs ) which for this purpose includes the junior bantamweight or super flyweight class (115 lbs) but not the heavier super bantamweight division which at 122 lbs is well over the traditional bantamweight limit.
Part Two: The Bantamweight Bubble is Still On
Ironically, despite losing two major world championships in the division consecutively in 2022, it can be said that the bubble we have been enjoying at bantamweight since 2018 still has a lot of air in it as the current year draws to a close.
We hit our prime in 2019-2020, ironically again the start of as well as peak of a viral pandemic with Nonito Donaire, Johnriel Casimero and Reymart Gaballo reigning almost simultaneously as WBA super champion (although Nonito would lose it late in 2019 to Naoya Inoue), WBO regular titlist and WBC interim world belt holder respectively. In addition, we have Michael Dasmarinas as IBF mandatory while a couple others namely Jonas Sultan and Vincent Astrolabio were at the fringes.
Though Nonito lost his WBA super belt in a gallant battle against Inoue in Japan in 2019, he managed to gain the WBC crown via spectacular KO over French-Algerian defending world titlist Nordine Oubaali in late 2021. Meanwhile, Casimero albeit the cancellation of his scheduled April 2020 unification versus Inoue, was able to make two successful defenses in late 2020 and mid 2021 against Ghanaian Duke Micah by KO and wily Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux by split decision.
And though Dasmarinas was made easy work by Inoue and was dropped from the world ranking, Sultan and Astrolabio managed to maintain their profile with impressive wins during the period. Nonito made a maiden defense of his WBC title by KO of then interim titlist Gaballo in another unwanted Filipino versus Filipino bout.
The bantamweight bubble appeared to have burst by the second half of 2022 with Nonito Donaire again losing in a unification rematch against Inoue and Casimero getting stripped of his WBO crown after failing to honor his mandatory defense twice against UK's Paul Butler, the last time by disqualification for violation of BBBofC sauna rule. Butler instead fought and outpointed Sultan for the WBO interim title and was later upgraded to regular champion by the pissed off WBO. The spate of bad luck was soothed only by Astrolabio's upset win over Cuban old but durable legend Rigondeaux which saw him scoring a knockdown.
But heading into the last few weeks of 2022, the flagging bubble received a much needed boost with Astrolabio following up an earlier win over Rigondeaux with a major KO win over another sturdy world rated bantamweight Nikolai Potapov of Russia in a final IBF world title eliminator recently. The Korea Boxing Members Commission or KBM likewise decided to change the earlier No Contest ruling of the Japanese referee on the bout between comebacking Casimero and world rated Japanese Ryu Akaho into a 2nd round knockout win for Casimero.
With Naoya Inoue planning to move up in weight and vacating all the major belts at bantamweight anytime next year, the hopes of Donaire and Casimero regaining world titles in the division are alive. And If Inoue decides to stay at 118, he will have to defend against Astrolabio as his IBF mandatory.
Regardless of what Naoya Inoue decides upon, it is clear that the Filipino bubble at the 118lbs division will remain until the next new year
This could be even boosted by the performance of the highly promising Jade Bornea in his forthcoming fight versus Argentine Fernando Martinez for the IBF world super flyweight or junior bantamweight crown which Jerwin Ancajas previously held for more than five years, losing it to Martinez only this year. And of course by Ancajas himself depending on his ring comeback this time as full fledged bantamweight.
What's happening at bantamweight and our continuing malaise at flyweight may prompt us to wonder if the bantamweight has already become our niche weight in the lowest classes category apart from, of course, the minimumweight division with maximum limit of 105 lbs. where talented Filipino fighters abound.
I found that odd.
Although it stands to reason that being physically smaller in stature compared especially to the Caucasians and the Anglo Saxons, we still have many natives who are barely five feet in height and weighing a little more than a hundred pounds, which are an oddity in Europe and the Americas and even developed countries in Asia as Japan, China and Korea. But then, where is the improvement in race and stock brought about by better nutrition and improving economic conditions?
Can we find it in our better boxers and improving performance at 118 lbs or bantamweight? Has the bantamweight become our new gold mine flyweight?
Indeed, I have the question, What Are We Missing At Flyweight? as title of our Part 1 of this series and I am not sure we have found the answer with our unprecedented showing at bantamweight.
Still and all, we can always draw consolation from the fact that what we are missing at flyweight, we are finding at bantamweight.
Next: The Featherweights: A Continuing Enigma
Part I: What Are We Missing At Flyweight?
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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