SLAVES FOR DOLLARS
By Rich Mazon
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 27 Jun 2013
Two Filipino boxers fought in separate bouts in Mexico last Saturday, both of them suffered defeats in the hands of their over matched foes - brutally.
Weng Haya of Cebu, who holds a record of 17 wins (9 by KO) and 5 defeats (2 from KO) and whose only meaningful accomplishment in his career was an 8th round TKO loss to former super featherweight champ Orlando Salido, was knocked out in the 2nd by a hard punching and an undefeated fighter in Miguel Berchelt last Saturday in Merida, Mexico.
Berchelt whose record is an eye catching 18-0 with 15 of them, an impressive 80 percent knockout rate, by stoppages, added the hapless Haya to his list of victims.
Berchelt had all the advantages. He is fighting in his own turf, not necessitating a day long travel to get there, which Haya and his team did - and on fight week itself. He is fighting in a favorable environment, with all the advantages of a hometown fighter. And, he is up against an opponent whose record is 2-2 on his last 4 bouts, the 2 by knockouts. It was a mismatch to begin with.
But that mismatch was nothing compared to what another Filipino warrior was up against.
Jaderes Padua, a relative novice in the ring, succumbed to a savage knockout in the hands of a seasoned veteran and former world champion in Fernando Montiel.
Padua, originally of Albay, holds a measly record of 8 wins (5 KO) against 2 defeats (1 from KO) and a draw. Meantime, Montiel is a veteran of 55 fights (49-4-2) prior to their contest last Saturday in Ixtapa, Mexico. Fifty five fights, fifty five fights against Padua who has eleven.
That was more than a mismatch. That was plain ridiculous!
Who approved of these fights? Who matched our two? kababayans? in a very uneven fight, both in paper and in actuality?
What about the managers and promoters of Haya and Padua? Were they all blinded by the glitter of the $$$ sign? Did they just risk the lives of these two young boys in favor of the Almighty Dollar?
And what about the Games and Amusement Board (GAB)? Aren?t they supposed to be the final watchdog against such obvious unfairness? Did anybody in that office even glanced at this when papers and requests for these bouts were made?
This was a gross mismanagement by the GAB, but more by the managers, promoters and match makers of these two young athletes. They are bringing disservice to our athletes, our boxing program and our country by sending raw boxers to foreign lands against superior competition.
This is wrong. This has to stop.
The lure of fighting overseas provides the compensation that fighting locally does not bring. I am all for that opportunity- but not in instances such as this. They are sending our young, inexperienced and na?ve fighters to the lion?s den- and feeding them in the process.
At first in was Thailand, and now Mexico is the current market for our boys because of the boxing rivalry between the two countries. Even the likes of Pacquiao, Donaire and Viloria build up their resumes and background in the ring before facing tougher opponent in paper and not a newbie like Jaderes Padua.
Let us not wait for a fatal incident to strike our young boxers as a result of uneven competition. Let us not wait for the day where a 21year old kid is brought home in a coffin after engaging in a contest he should have not participated in to begin with.
They are athletes, harbinger of pride for our country - not slaves for dollars.
You can reach the author at rrmaze24@aol.com and on Twitter at Freemazon910.
Photo: Mexico's Bertchelt (L) bamboozles Weng Haya (R).
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rich Mazon .
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