by Ronnie Nathanielsz
Both Games and Amusements Board chairman Ramon Guanzon and Boxing Division chief Dr. Nasser Cruz have defended the GAB decision denying the request of promoter/manager Rex “Wakee” Salud to provide clearance for Marlon Tapales to spar with WBC bantamweight champion Shinsuke Yamanaka of Japan before the mandated 30 day period in-between fights.
Dr. Cruz, in response to a query from the Manila Standard cited GAB Rule 27 which states that “a boxer who has just participated in a contest shall be required at least a 30 day mandatory rest period for four rounders and 45 days for six rounders and above before he is allowed to compete again.”
Boxers who are six rounders or more will need to secure special permission from the GAB chairman which is what Salud did, also sending the GAB an MRI-Scan of Tapales who dropped a majority decision to David Sanchez in Mexico in a battle for the WBC super flyweight interim title last February 23 in Sonora, Mexico.
It was only the second loss of the 20 year old Tapales as against 21 wins with 8 knockouts.
The rule does not state that a fighter is prevented from sparring within the rest period which is what Salud argued about.
While preventing Tapales from earning good money by serving as the sparring partner of wealthy Japanese businessman-sportsman Akihiko Honda’s fighter who is the reigning bantamweight champion set to defend his title against former WBC flyweight champion and OPBF bantamweight ruler Malcolm “Eagle Eye” Tunacao on April 8, it was pointed out that the GAB in comparison had been lenient with 30 year old flyweight Michael Rodriguez.
According to boxrec.com Rodriguez has a miserable record of 13 wins as against 35 losses and has been allowed to fight in violation of the rules on the rest period.
Rodriguez who had lost last four fights and drawn one of his last five fights and 9 of his last 11 fights dropped a ten round decision to Donny Mabao on April 21, 2012 followed by an eight round loss to Pornsawan Porpramook (24-4-1, 16 KO’s) on May 30 in Thailand which did not conform to the GAB’s own rules and a unanimous six round decision against super flyweight Suriyan Sor Rungvisai (20-5-1, 7 KO’s) last July 2 also in Thailand..
In his last fight on February 15, 2013 Rodriguez lost a unanimous decision in an IBF Asia flyweight title fight to Thai Olympian Amnat Ruenreong in Chom Bueng, Thailand.
Rodriguez is ranked No.1 5 by the GAB in the light flyweight division but was allowed to fight in an IBF regional title fight in a higher weight division and with a very poor record raising more questions about the GAB’s position on Tapales.
