By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Filipino challenger Rodel Mayol, taking his third crack at a world title was once again denied, this time by a questionable technical draw at New York ’s famed Madison Square Garden on Sunday morning, Manila Time, in a fight telecast “live” by Solar Sports.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports after the fight “I’m going to insist on it and I plan to do that fight in the Philippines .”
The American TV panel appeared to favor Mayol in a close but unexciting bout that was marred by several head-butts which happens when a southpaw like Ivan Calderon who was some four inches shorter fights an orthodox opponent like Mayol.
The hugely partisan Puerto Rican crowd appeared to sway the officials as evidenced even in the main event where Miguel Cotto won a split decision over Ghana ’s Joshua Clottey in a WBO welterweight title fight. It reminded us of the night at MSG when Gabriel “Flash” Elorde scored a ten round split decision over Frankie Narvaez and Puerto Rican fans rioted, wrecking the organ, throwing chairs and fire extinguisher axes creating mayhem until the police were called in.
Referee Arthur Mercante Jr deservedly got the ire of Clottey at the end of the fight for his failure to penalize Cotto for a clear takedown that hurt Clottey’s leg somewhat like what WBO 122 pound champion Agapito Sanchez did to Filipino boxing hero and then IBF champion Manny Pacquiao in their super bantamweight unification bout on November 10, 2001. In addition Cotto landed a clear low blow and what appeared to be an accidental punch to the back of the head.
An angry Clottey said “ They robbed me. The winner of the fight is the one who’s supposed to be fighting hardest. He was running and I was chasing. I threw the hardest punches. People said I’d lose the decision if it went to a decision and it did. They robbed me.”
A good right hand by Mayol and his aggressiveness against the undefeated Calderon gave the Filipino the first round against Calderon who hadn’t fought since last August when he also retained his title by a technical decision due to an accidental head-butt.
The US television panelist also favored Mayol in round two who caught Calderon with a good right straight and was the stronger fighter who kept pushing the champion back.
Mayol connected with a long right in round three even as Calderon hardly threw many punches and at the end of the third round the panel had Mayol ahead on their unofficial scorecards 29-28.
Calderon used his quickness to land a good combination and was then cautionedf by the referee for his rough tactics before a clash of heads for the second time bothered the champion who was briefly hurt when Mayol caught him with three right hands in the final minute of the round.
Two accidental clashes of heads again in the fifth round opened up a cut on Calderon’s forehead even as the commentators claimed the champion may have initiated the contact after which he was also guilty of throwing an elbow. A left hook by Mayol and a good right hand by Mayol ended the round.
The ring doctor examined Calderon twice in the fifth round as the champion appeared to get more desperate before one more clash of heads in round six forced the doctor to instruct referee Esteves to call a halt.
Rather surprisingly Tony Paolillo scored the fight 58-56 in favor of Calderon while in a four-point swing in what ended as a six round bout while respected boxing judge Tom Schreck had Mayol winning 58-56. The third judge, Steve Weisfeld scored it even at 57-57.
Mayol was clearly upset. I’m very disappointed. I thought I won the fight and as soon as his cut heals I hope they let me fight him again” said Mayol who twice before lost to Japan-based Thai Eagle Kyowa in a WBC title fight and was knocked out in the 8th round by IBF champion Ulises Solis in a fight where Mayol had Solis on the verge of a knockout but got careless and was in turn knocked out in a fight card in Rosemont, Illinois.
Calderon claimed in a conversation with Dan Rafael of ESPN.com “I thought the fight was going the way I wanted it to go.” It was Calderon’s fourth successful defense of his light flyweight title and moves to 32-01 with 6 knockouts while Mayol who trained hard at the Wild ard gym in Los Angeles under Buboy Fernandez dropped to 25-3-1 with 19 knockouts.
