Inside Sports - Rallying Behind Filipino Warriors
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
In sports as in life, no matter what the athletic discipline, criticism is always welcome provided it is constructive, responsible and well-meaning. Criticism should never be laced with meanness or in furtherance of a selfish personal agenda.
This is especially so in the world of sports where we expect our athletes, whether they be billiard players or boxers, basketball players or bowlers to live by the values and virtues of fair-play and sportsmanship which some of us seem to forget in often uncalled for and utterly unfair criticism.
To us who love the sport of boxing with a passion, having been an integral part of the sport as an amateur during our youth and having developed firm and lasting friendships with some of the more noble fighters in our midst, we find it impossible to understand let alone appreciate the vile comments laced with meanness leveled against some of our boxers and even good and decent promoters.
Little do these individuals most if not all of whom have never ever laced on a pair of gloves and who hide behind the skirt of anonymity, know how much our young – and not so young fighters – sacrifice, in search of success in the ring and a better life for their families.
Neither do they realize how some fine men give of their time and personal resources to help poor young boys strive to box their way to a decent life. All they know to do is to post vicious insinuations and vile comments, utterly unmindful of the facts. .
One young fighter, possibly two, who have been the victims of such vermin are Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista and AJ “Bazooka” Banal. Those who have used boxing forums on a site that has degenerated into an avenue for personal vendettas and false posturing, have launched attacks against two of the most talented young fighters and potential world champions and fine young men… Bautista and Banal.
Unmindful of the fact that Bautista had a rotten bone in his wrist that resulted in excruciating pain every time he threw a punch which necessitated surgery and the transplant of a piece of bone from his hip to his wrist, some of these critics labeled “Boom Boom” a bum while others suggested that he should be a pedicab driver.
What truly amazes and saddens us, is that a boxing website whose mission must surely be to grow the sport, encourage our boxers, appreciate the burdens these young fighters go through and the sacrifices they make and allow only objective, fair, analytical comment by individuals who know whereof they speak, tolerates men who have no respect for our Filipino fighters and only gather around to share in the reflected glory of winners and damn those who lose with a vengeance.
Our boxers don’t deserve this. Didn’t our hero for all-time Manny Pacquiao get knocked out twice before he overcame those setbacks to emerge as the world’s No.1 pound-for-pound fighter and a hero of epic dimensions? Didn’t the late, great Gabriel “Flash” Elorde lose seven times before winning the world junior lightweight title with a spectacular 7th round knockout over American Harold Gomez only at the age of 28?
Do we respect and admire Gerry Penalosa any less for the incredible gallantry he showed against Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez, a much younger, bigger and stronger champion at whose hands he took an unmerciful beating ? Only unmitigated cowards would resort to such acts.
Former Australian champion and Aussie Hall-of-Famer Jeff Malcolm who is one of the few fighters in the world with 100 wins in his career is convinced that “Boom Boom” Bautista is born to be a world champion. Golden Boy Promotions believes that both Banal and Bautista have the potential to become world champions.
Where were the people who now swarm all over Manny Pacquiao and pay homage to him when he was a skinny kid fighting his way into the hearts and homes of simple folk in Mandaluyong on the weekly boxing show “Blow by Blow”? Where were they when Manny was knocked out by Rustico Torrecampo and again knocked out by Medgoen 3K Battery ? Don’t answer. Just recall. And while you are about it, keep the faith in boys like Bautista and Banal, Z “The Dream” Gorres, Mark Jason Melligen, Michael Domingo, Jason Pagara, Ciso Morales, Marvin Sonsona, Rocky Marcial, Jundy Maraon and many others particularly from the Visayas and Mindanao .
The eminent lawyer and founding secretary general of the World Boxing Council Rudy Salud told us only on Sunday he was convinced that “Boom Boom” Bautista and “Bazooka” Banal will someday be world champions for sure. Rudy Salud knows what he is talking about and that is good enough for us. Given all this, we believe all of us have an obligation as Filipinos to rally around Bautista and Banal and all our fighters, mindful of the sacrifices they make and not damn them.
