ANGEL HEREDIA HELPED DAPUDONG WHO WON IBO TITLE WITH SPECTACULAR 1ST ROUND KO
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 17 Jun 2013
Dapudong.
In an unexpected twist, Angel Heredia who was known for having peddled performance enhancing drugs to Olympic athletes in the past but who insists he no longer dabbles in illegal drugs, helped Filipino super flyweight Edrin ?The Sting? Dapudong win the IBO world title with a spectacular 1st round knockout in a rematch with South Africa?s Gideon Buthelezi at the Emperors Palace in Johannesburg, Sunday morning Manila Time.
Dapudong?s manager and longtime benefactor, former North Cotabato governor Manny Pinol in an overseas telephone conversation with the Manila Standard revealed what he described as ?a secret? which was that Heredia, who had been Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez? strength and conditioning coach in his fourth fight against Manny Pacquiao in which Marquez scored a stunning 6th round knockout last December 8, had helped Dapudong through Los Angeles based Fil-American physical therapist Jeff De Guzman who was a member of Dapudong?s team.
Pinol revealed that Heredia advised them about Dapudong?s ?nutritional requirements? through email and telephone conversations and that Pinol noted ?a drastic change following an overhaul of Dapudong?s food intake.?
He said even Dapudong told him he ?felt different and no longer sluggish? and this was evident in the short time that the fight lasted.
Well known Super Sport boxing writer Ron Jackson reported that Buthelezi, buoyed by the presence of a large number of supporters, appeared confident as both fighters sized each other up after the opening bell but that the moment Dapudong caught Buthelezi with a ripping left to the body, he momentarily dropped his guard.
That gave Dapudong an opening as Buthelezi never saw the vicious follow-up left and the champion?s head swiveled when Dapudong nailed him with a devastating punch. Buthelezi was out even before he hit the canvas while respected American referee Robert Byrd immediately called it ?over and out? as Buthelezi?s handlers rushed to his aid.
Hardly had the scores of Buthelezi supporters warmed their seats before their champion was knocked out cold. Their reaction was one of stunned silence.
An ecstatic Pinol told us, ?We made it! We made it! It was vindication? after Dapudong was robbed of victory in their first meeting last November. He said even the South African media who were in the dressing room after the fight said the same thing because they too had been very critical of the decision in the first fight.
Pinol said he would honor a three-fight option granted promoter Rodney Berman of Golden Gloves Promotions but would request that he be given the opportunity to stage a non-title fight in the Philippines prior to his first title defense.
Dapudong and the members if his team are scheduled to arrive at 3:00 p.m. on Monday via a Air Emirates flight from Dubai.
Pinol had warned Dapudong that the only way to overcome the problem of hometown decisions for which South Africa had become notorious was to win by knockout. Dapudong took the warning to heart and trained diligently for the rematch and it paid off handsomely.
Although the IBO does not have the same level of recognition as the other prominent world boxing organizations, its president Ed Levine hasn't shirked from ordering rematches if a decision is considered hugely controversial as he did in the Dapudong case and also in the case of veteran Juanito Rubillar who lost a questionable majority decision to South Africa's Hekkie Budler in 2010.
The win by Dapudong breaks a succession of painful defeats suffered by Filipino world champions Pacquiao, WBO/WBA flyweight champion Brian Viloria and WBO and Ring Magazine super bantamweight champion Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire.
When informed by the Standard about Dapudong's victory, Donaire reacted saying "Wow! Amazing! Congratulations."
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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