THE REAL STORY OF CISO MORALES
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 19 Feb 2010
Not too many people seem to know that Ciso “Kid Terrible” Morales was another victim of very poor handling, so much so that even Manny Pacquiao who knows whereof he speaks criticized the habit of handlers making fighters come down in weight without realizing the negative effects on the fighters physically and even mentally.
Even the astute Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told us he couldn't understand it.
We had raised the issue of Morales’ weight weeks before the fight and in fact questioned trainer Nonito Donaire Sr about it. He seemed peeved at the question and wondered who was talking about Ciso not being able to make to make the weight.
Well, Ciso did make the weight, but at what price?
Dyan Castillejo of ABS-CBN and I both learned from Ciso himself as well as his handlers that he was 12, yes twelve pounds over the bantamweight limit 6, yes six days before his title fight against the veteran Fernando “Cochulito” Montiel.
We even pointed out the glaring mismatch noting that Montiel had more than twice as many knockouts as Morales had wins – 29 KO’s by Montiel to 14 wins by Morales!
When Ciso stepped on the scales at the official weigh-in at the Shimmer Room where songbird Lani Misaluchia has been a big hit, his cheeks were sunken. Just before that promoter Sammy Gello-ani told Dyan and myself that the boy was smiling and singing in his room and was very happy. The reason was, he would soon be able to eat after virtually starving himself to death for a week.
Even the Sports Book knew the fight was a certified mismatch with a $100 bet on Morales to win, earning $850. Only inveterate gamblers placed a wager on Ciso.
Here’s the question that intrigues us no end. How could Ciso Morales who is a super bantamweight based on his five previous fights suddenly emerge at No. 5 in the bantamweight rankings of the WBO?
A fighter has to earn a title shot not get one because the sanctioning body needs to fill in the card and willing handlers agree to let a young man be led to the slaughter.
We are aware that after the tragic injury suffered by Z “The Dream” Gorres, ALA Promotions suggested that bantamweight Michael Domingo take his place but that Montiel had rejected Domingo as an opponent. Obviously he didn’t wish to tangle with a worthy contender and when the name of Morales was brought up he grabbed it right away since it obviously meant a much easier fight and money in the bank.
It seemed to us that even the fine people at Top Rank Promotions knew very little about Morales and his ability to take on Montiel.
A better proposition would have been for Gerry Penalosa to face Montiel for the title and if they needed to get a Filipino into the mix because of the “Pinoy Power” angle then perhaps they could have considered AJ “Bazooka” Banal who last January knocked out four-time world title challenger Cecilio Santos without too much trouble, as an opponent for Morel although we realize that it would have meant having Banal fight after a mere one month.
The weight issue of Morales suddenly becomes even more relevant when we realize that “Marvelous” Marvin Sonsona was five pounds over the super bantamweight limit with ten days to go before his world title fight against undefeated Wilfredo Vazquez Jr in Puerto Rico. On the surface that doesn’t seem to be a problem.
But when you think back and remember that it was only last November that Sonsona, who lost his WBO super flyweight title on the scales in his first defense and decided to move up two weight divisions to super bantamweight, still remains 5 pounds overweight with ten days to go, there appears to be an intrinsic problem that needs to be studied – and resolved – in a hurry.
We do not know as yet how much Ciso Morales earned for his title fight but no matter what it was, it clearly didn’t merit the sacrifices he made besides being effectively branded a fighter with a lack of heart which probably was even more painful than the body shot he received from Montiel.
Our attention should, quite honestly, be directed at the WBO and its regional head Leon Panoncillo as well as the handlers of Morales, our friends Sammy Gello-ani and international promoter and manager Sampson “Picasso” Lewkowicz and even trainer Nonito Donaire Sr.
For sure the painting of Morales agonizing on the canvas was no Picasso. It was a horrible painting of a mismatch that should never have been allowed to happen.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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