DAPUDONG WAS ROBBED OF WORLD TITLE IN SOUTH AFRICA
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 12 Nov 2012
Edrin Dapudong was clearly robbed of the IBO super flyweight title when he inexplicably lost a twelve round split decision to South Africa?s Gideon Buthelezi who took a battering but got lucky with the judges at the Emperor?s Palace, Kempton Park, South Africa.
Promoter Rodney Berman?s Golden Gloves website was scathing over the results of the Dapudong-Buthelezi fight.
The promoters said ?Bleeding from the nose and badly bruised around the left eye, Buthelezi took a beating. But he got lucky with the judges,? identified as Tony Nyangiwe of South Africa who scored the fight for the hometown boy 115-112 along with Michael Pernick of the US 115-113 with Britain?s Reg Thompson of Britain scoring it for Dapudong 114-113.
Golden Gloves said "It was rough justice on Dapudong, who was the sharper and busier of the two fighters. Little wonder he looked perplexed and distraught when the scorecards were announced.?
The boxing website added "Dapudong must have thought he had the fight in the bag when he delivered a flash nine-count knockdown on Buthelezi in the ninth round.?
In another report titled ?Buthelezi Gets Lucky? the South African media reported Buthelezi looked fortunate to eke out a split decision win over Dapudong in a battle for the vacant IBO 115 pound title.
It noted that ?bleeding from the nose and badly bruised around the left eye, the South African took a battering but got lucky with the judges.
The report described the decision as ?rough justice on Dapudong who was both sharper and busier. Little wonder he looked perplexed when the scores were announced.?
There was a great ebb and flow to the fight and both boxers took their turns trading blow for blow according to the South African media with Dapudong?s trainer and Filipino promoter Aljoe Jaro who worked his corner telling the fighter from North Cotabato that if he failed to win by a knockout the judges would do him in.
The media report noted that Dapudong ?must have thought he had the fight in the bag when he scored a flsh knockdown in the ninth. Although Buthelezi recovered he was off color and showed he has still has a long way off when compared to the big guns of the division.?
The Post in South Africa reported that the Philippines' Edrin Dapudong broke into tears after South African Gideon Buthelezi gained a controversial, split-points decision over him in the other IBO title fight on the program.
Dapudong's disappointment in not securing the vacant IBO junior bantamweight title was well justified, with Buthelezi on the canvas in the ninth round and seemingly heading for a knockout defeat.
Buthelezi held his own for the remainder of the fight, but overall Dapudong appeared to have done more than enough to secure the verdict.
Interestingly, the IBO allowed the 26 year old southpaw Buthelezi to fight for the vacant IBO super flyweight title when in his last fight he was dropped three times in the second round and lost by a knockout to Mexico?s Adrian Hernandez in an IBO light flyweight title fight on September 24, 2011.
Buthelezi was ranked No. 15 by the IBO.
Photo: Dapudong (L) and Bhutelezi pose during their official weighin.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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