By Rey Danseco

 

NO Filipino fighter will be allowed to fight in Thailand unless boxing officials and promoters in Thailand cooperate with the boxing commission in the Philippines.

Games and Amusement Board (GAB) chairman Eric Buhain and it's three-man board is slated to come up with a formal decision in their meeting anytime this week to prevent Thailand – a country with heavy allegations of cheating and mismatching in boxing -- from importing Filipino boxers.

The decision came down after former World Boxing Council (WBC) youth flyweight champion Lito Sisnorio from Kidapawan City, died in hospital Saturday night due to a brain hemorrhage after engaging in a possible mismatch encounter on Friday night.

Buhain assured that the family of the late boxer will received an unspecified amount of financial assistance from boxer’s welfare fund despite the fact that the victim fought without authorization from the agency. 

Sisnorio, 5-foot-5 stylish fighter under Jemmel Contayoso Stable in Kidapawan City, was not also qualified to fight abroad because GAB’s policy required a boxer to win twice in his last five bouts before he is given the signal to see action outside of the country. He lost his last three fights, including when Contayoso “forced” him to-fight-for-money against reigning WBC flyweight champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam.

Wonjongkam, who is slated to defend the title that he won from dehydrated Filipino Malcolm Tunacao by first round knockout in March 2001 - against Japanese Tomonobu Shimizu on April 6, stopped Sisnorio in the fourth round last January 26.

Sisnorio, according to Buhain, hasn’t renewed his license. GAB also was slated to penalize the boxer for fighting Wonjongkam illegally with Contayoso’s approval after he signed the fight contract with unscrupulous Thai matchmaker of Bangkok-based promoter Virat Vajiratanawongse.

Thai surgeons at Piyamin Hospital in Bangpli District, Samutprakarn, Thailand failed to salvage Sisnorio’s life after surgery. Sisnorio was declared dead at 9:15 pm Saturday.

Sasakul, who lost his WBC 112-lb belt with 8th round stoppage at the hands of Manny Pacquiao in December 1998, dominated the less-experienced Filipino opponent. He hurt and floored Sisnorio with a barrage of right hooks in round 4 of their schedule 10-round super-flyweight bout last Friday.

Sisnorio was wobbly, returned to his feet and the Thai referee stopped the contest at 2:35 mark of round 4, giving him his fourth straight loss and back-to-back knockout losses. Campaigning from October 2003, his record dropped to 11-6-1 with only 3 knockouts.

Sasakul, 37, improved to 59-3, 38 KOs after taking his 26 wins (21 times against mostly patsy or over the hill Filipino imports) in last 27 fights overall since losing to Pacquiao.

Sisnorio began to vomit and lost consciousness after the fight while on his way to dinner.