Jade refused to quit
By Joaquin Henson
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 29 Jun 2023
It’s a rare thing in pro boxing that a chunk of a fighter’s ear is nearly torn off from excessive pounding. In 2006, Argentinian Sebastian Lujan’s ear was badly cut by Mexico’s Antonio Margarito and lost by a 10th round TKO in Atlantic City. Four MMA gladiators also suffered major damage in their ears----James Thompson in 2008, Kazushi Sakuraba and Shigeyuki Uchiyama in 2010 and Leslie Smith in 2014. Of course, the list doesn’t include Evander Holyfield whose two ears were bitten by Mike Tyson in 1997.
Last Saturday, Cotabato del Norte’s Jade Bornea went down like Lujan as his right ear bled profusely from a one-inch cut on the inner rim above the lobe. Referee Charlie Fitch waved it off at 0:29 of the 11th round and awarded the TKO win to defending IBF superflyweight champion Fernando Martinez of Argentina at The Armory in Minneapolis. Bornea’s manager JC Manangquil of SanMan Boxing said the ear began to swell in the seventh frame then in the ninth, the balloon popped and blood spewed out from the ghastly wound. Fitch asked Bornea if he wanted to continue and the mandatory challenger refused to quit. But in the 11th, Fitch stepped in as Martinez mercilessly hammered the ear with overhand lefts and Bornea found no refuge.
“Martinez was like a shark with blood in the water,” said MP Promotions head Sean Gibbons. “You can’t predict something like that to happen but it happens. That’s boxing. Up to the seventh, it was close and I felt the championship rounds would decide the outcome one way or the other. Then, Jade’s ear blew up.” Manangquil said Bornea was on the way to heat up when fate intervened. “It was competitive until Jade’s ear got busted,” he said. “Jade’s the first boxer ever to back up Martinez. He’s only 28 with a long career ahead.”
Bornea moved to the US in July 2021, leaving behind his wife and two children, to focus on his pursuit of a world title. His wife arrived in the US last week for the fight. They’ll vacation before heading home. Former IBF superflyweight titlist Jerwin Ancajas, who lost twice to Martinez on points, predicted Bornea will be a world champion someday. Ancajas scored a fifth round TKO win over Colombian Wilner Soto in the Martinez-Bornea undercard.
From The Armory, Bornea was brought to the Hennepin County Medical Center where his right ear was stitched. Coach Ting Ariosa accompanied Bornea and his wife to the hospital. “We were there for 4 1/2 hours,” said Ariosa. “We got back to the hotel at 1 a.m. Jade lost a chunk of his right ear’s cartilage bone and his ear will be deformed permanently.” Los Angeles-based sports photographer Jhay Otamias, who took shots by the ring apron, spoke to Bornea who said his hearing isn’t impaired so that’s a consolation. At least five stitches sewed up the cut.
“I saw the injury in the ear,” said Martinez in Spanish. “The inflammation was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I hit him with a left and it popped, exploded. I told the referee be cautious, I think he’s really hurt. That’s when I just kept going at the ear and trying to finish the fight.” It was the first loss in Bornea’s pro career. “The first seven rounds were even then I had the injury to my ear, it’s unfortunate but I tried to keep fighting ‘til the end,” said the courageous Filipino. Judges Mike Fitzgerald and Zachary Young scored it 67-66 for Martinez after seven rounds and judge Jerry Jakubco 68-65, also for Martinez. The Argentine swept the last three rounds until the stoppage.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.
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