Team Pacquiao?s Assistant Trainer Buboy Fernandez Apologizes: I?M SORRY
By Mike Angel Lopez
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 15 Dec 2012
"It's easy to have faith in yourself and have discipline when you're a winner... What you got to have is faith and discipline when you're not a winner."?- Vince Lombardi
This past weekend we were honored to witness one of the greatest fights between two ring warriors, Juan Manuel ?DINAMITA? Marquez and Manny ?PACMAN? Pacquiao. It will be a fight that will be talked about forever in the history of boxing.
Marquez unleashed from his arsenal a devastating right hand that crushed the face of Pacquiao and sent the ?Living Legend? to lala land, face down and motionless on the mat.
That was a ?KNOCKOUT? that was heard around the world.
It came to light that the assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez and Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz had an ugly altercation with a world renowned photographer Al Bello of Getty Images. These two characters reportedly were mad because Bello was taking photographs of Pacquiao as he was laid out on the mat.
In a pay per view event televised throughout the world, internationally credentialed photographers at ringside have the right to cover history in the ring.
Fernandez got in touch with Philboxing writer, Dr. Ed De La Vega, the creator of some of the world?s best mouthpieces, the charismatic writer and photographer, and a cutman for many fighters.
?Please help me tell the gentleman involved in the incident that I am deeply sorry for what happened,? Fernandez stated. ?I did not mean any harm. My reaction was just a result of the heat of the moment,? he added.?
?Please tell him I am truly sorry."
The victim was award winning photographer Al Bello of Getty Images.
Bello stated, he just wanted an apology from Fernandez and Koncz. It seems the apology was not enough as Bello has kept mum on the situation and said it?s not in his hands anymore, so it seems he has a legal team now that has advised him to keep silent.
Buboy Fernandez, the longtime childhood friend of Manny Pacquiao was very concerned for his dear friend. That is understood since Pacquiao gave his jobless childhood friend a position in Team Pacquiao after he saw him just doing nothing. The Pacman took Buboy under his wing and told him to watch how the trainers train, so you can learn from that. The loyalty of Buboy will always be there since he was groomed by Pacman and brought out from the brink of poverty.
I can relate in some ways with Fernandez. I have worked many corners for Mexican and Latino boxers who come to the Philippines. I have seen many Mexican and Latino boxers get their lights put out in the ring. The first reaction is to jump in the ring and comfort the boxer which is usually before the doctor gets to him. It?s a natural instinct.
In the weeks leading up to the fight, you get a bond with the boxers. It is usually through emails and live chats before they hit the Philippine soil. When the boxers arrive five days before the fight and after meeting them, you get a strong bond of friendship with them. They are on the other side of the world, far from their loved ones which is not easy mentally. They always have access to my cellphone and laptop to communicate.
As the boxer is lays there after getting knocked out, if they can see their trainer or part of their team, they are reassured. If the doctor says back away, you don?t question him.
I have a Bachelor Degree in Nursing, but would never overrule a doctor if he says back away. The (GAB) Games and Amusement Board of the Philippines have the respected Philboxing writer Dr. Rene Bonsubre on ringside always on top of the ring to oversee the boxer. I usually translate for the doctor or for the boxer. These are the critical moments for a boxer. I can see the point of Fernandez but he was in the wrong; there is no doubt about that, he crossed a line that wasn?t to have been crossed. He has skated on thin ice.
Fernandez also stated, ?I think I reacted that way because I was confused and did not know how to react after seeing for the first time my best friend and benefactor flat out on the canvas and not moving at all?.
?
I hope Fernandez has learned from this experience and will be more humble the next time if and when one of his boxers gets their clock rocked.
Have we not forgotten what happened to Filipino World Champion Johnriel Casimero and International respected promoter Sammy Gello-ani in Argentina when they got viciously attacked after the fight? Boxing fans never want to see that happen.
In the fight when Pacquaio knocked out Hatton, Fernandez was seen over the laid out Hatton. Maybe Fernandez forgot the golden rule; Do onto others as you would have them do to you.
When a grown man says, ?HE IS SORRY? in front of the whole world, it means a lot and you accept the apology even if you don?t want to. It is not easy for a man to say ?IM SORRY?.
The next problem might be the (NSAC) Nevada State Athletic Commission. The Executive Commissioner Keith Kizer will be assessing the situation and see what they conclude. The (NSAC) is very strict and it is guaranteed they will discipline Fernandez and Koncz. To what extent, we will see.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Mike Angel Lopez.
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