By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Light flyweight Gerald Ubatay who had lost his last two fights, faced Thai super bantamweight Duangpetch Nakornthongparkview last October 4 and suffered a unanimous decision loss in a six round bout for which he was reportedly to receive his purse of $500 only yesterday, some eleven days after the fight.
Ubatay who is managed by Lito Mondejar was accompanied to Thailand by boxing manager and matchmaker Leonil Lazarito. Ubatay claimed in a conversation with people at L&M Gym where he trains that his Thai opponent didn't even weigh in, which was an obvious ploy to hide Duangpetch's true weight since the fight contract stipulated a weight of 114 pounds and he normally fights at 122. Ubatay said that when he inquired about the weight of Duangpetch he was told that he had already weighed in and it was "okay."
Duangpetch, according to boxrec.com has a record of 19-1 with 10 knockouts while Ubatay has more defeats than victories. Last June 4 Ubatay lost to Thai flyweight Pichitnoi Sithbangprachan and then on July 7 he fought Thai super flyweight Waenpetch Chuwatana and also lost.
In another unusual practice the Games and Amusements Board boxing division headed by Noli Flores requires fighters or the individual who accompanied the boxer for a fight abroad to report to the GAB on the outcome and other details of the fight. This practice has been often criticized since it has been pointed out that the GAB should request for a report from the boxing commission or authority under whose jurisdiction the Filipino fought and not from an interested party such as the boxer, his trainer or manager.
A well-known boxing commentator told Manila Standard that on occasions a fighter who gets knocked out abroad reports his loss but claims it was a decision only so as not to jeopardize his ranking or the chance to fight again within 45 days.
Manila Standard has also learned that Thai super flyweight Sairung Suwanasil who lost a lopsided ten round decision to Z "The Dream" Gorres last September 4 also fought world-rated flyweight Diosdado Gabi and dropped a similar decision by almost identical scorecards. However, for still unexplained reasons, Suwanasil fought under the name Sairung Pathavikorngym and not Sairung Suwanasil.
