FILIPINO BOXER RONALD PONTILLAS ROBBED OF VICTORY IN GHANA, SAYS MATCHMAKER BRICO SANTIG (PHOTOS)
By Carlos Costa
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 27 Apr 2013
In a controversial decision, Filipino super featherweight Ronald Pontillas (15-6-3, 7KO?s) of Las Pi?as, Metro Manila, lost a majority decision to local Ghanaian WBA international champion Emmanuel Tagoe (21-1, 8KO's) at Accra Sports Stadium in Ghana, western Africa, Friday, a verdict that Filipino matchmaker Brico Santig, calls "a robbery."
"Ronald Pontillas was robbed today here in Ghana," vehemently affirms Santig, while requesting that the WBO and WBA organizations look into the matter seriously.
The Tagoe-Pontillas 12-round double title fight was for the WBA Super Featherweight International Title as well as for the WBO Super Featherweight African Title, a presentation of local Ghana promoter Asamoah Gyan of Baby Jet Promotions in association with Alex Ntiamoah-Boakye of Box Office Promotions.
Brico Santig reports:
"In fairness, Pontillas should have been the winner. The African fighter (Emmanuel Tagoe) was knocked down three times, but only one of those knockdowns was counted by the biased referee," shared Santig, director of Highland Boxing of Baguio, Philippines.
"Without any knockdown the referee counted Pontillas at a crucial moment when Pontillas and Tagoe were exchanging furious blows. How can that be okay?"
HIGHLIGHTS
During round 4, Tagoe went down and was counted by referee. It was a straight to the chin combined with a body shot.
In round 6, the two fighters were trading knuckles in a corner when Pontillas weave and his head went out of the ropes without being hit by any blow from Tagoe. The referee inexplicably stopped the action and began to count on the Filipino.
In round 7 the Ghana referee calls upon the attention of a Ghana judge who was sleeping at his post during the fight.
In round 8 Tagoe touched the canvas from an upper cut thrown by Pontillas, and again there was no count.
In round 9, a perfect straight to the body totally knocked down the African, but amazingly there was no count. Instead, the African boxer was given around 30 seconds rest for him to recuperate.
Top photo: Scores are announced on the Pontillas-Tagoe fight.
Pontillas scores on Tagoe.
Tagoe down on the canvas.
Pontillas and trainer Amongo.
Filipinos in Ghana - PISLAG Group.
WBO Supervisor Andrew Smale.
OUTRAGEOUS
According to Santig, "the WBO supervisor Mr. Andrew Smale of South Africa came to the dug out of the Filipinos said that he felt sorry for the actions of his official during the fight."
Regarding any action that the Pontillas camp will take, Santig commented:
"I have already asked the fight promoter to hand me a DVD copy of the Tagoe-Pontillas fight so that I can turn it over to Pontillas's manager Sir Romel Nazario and his group for action.
In addition, veteran Filipino coach Samson Amongo, the trainer of Ronald Pontillas, affirms that "when the African boxer Tagoe was knocked down to the canvas, the referee counted very slow, giving time for Tagoe to recover."
Brico continued: "the Filipino Association of Ghana (PILSAG), witnessed this robbery and was very disappointed for the referee's unfair actions during the combat. Fans shouted to this referee many many times after his unprofessional and questionable performance.
"It was an unfair treatment in favor of the Ghana boxer Tagoe said the association vice president Ely Vlarmino and PILSAG council Oscar Delalona.
More than a hundred Filipino residents in Ghana had been at Accra Sports Stadium supporting Pontillas on his important WBA/WBO title fight.
Even the local Ghana boxing fans in attendance booed when the decision was announced.
It would be positive that the Tagoe-Pontillas fight be seen by international audiences and the WBO and WBA championship committees.
One scorecard was a 115-115 draw, the others 116-112, 118-111 in favor of local boxer Emmanuel Tagoe. The three judges and the referee were from Ghana.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Carlos Costa.
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