Ronnie Nathanielsz
The problem of glaring mismatches in fights will be taken up at the forthcoming World Boxing Council Convention in Phuket, Thailand next month with no less than WBC president Jose Sulaiman and Orient Pacific Boxing Federation president Frank Quill taking the lead.
Sulaiman was reacting to complaints about terrible mismatches in Australia involving fighters from Indonesia and Fiji, Thailand where Filipino boxers were at the receiving end and in other places around the world. Sulaiman said the the problem of mismatches is all over Asia and the world and added he believes the WBC should come up with a world resolution for specific recommendations and actions.
OPBF president Quill stressed that it is not only dangerous, unacceptably so, but it dupes boxing followers expecting competitive matches. WBC executive secretary Mauricio Sulaiman noted that mismatches were dangerous adding that fans will soon know and stop following boxing.
The supporting bouts during the WBC Convention fight night itself in Phuket provide a clear example of the problem. Filipino super flyweight Jun Magsipoc who is now reportedly carrying the name Georgio Ipoc is slated to battle former world flyweight champion and reigning WBC Asian Boxing Council bantamweight champion Chatchai Sasakul who has a record of 47-2 with 30 knockouts. Magsipoc fought Sasakul only last June 25 and suffered an eighth round TKO. Earlier, on March 25, Magsipoc lost by a fourth round TKO to Thailand's Pramuansak Posuwan.
Another Filipino boxer Jhay Herla is scheduled to clash with Oleydong Sithsamerchai, the undefeated WBC Asian Boxing Council light flyweight champion. Oleydong has beaten ten Filipino fighters, four of them this year alone while Herla suffered back-to-back defeats last April 4 and 18, first to Del Castillo and then to Gilbert de la Torre as reported by the website boxrec.com.
In Bangkok last Friday, another terrible mismatch took place when Filipino Joel Rodrigo who suffered a second round TKO at the hands of WBC Youth minimum weight champion Fahpetchnoi Sor Chitpattana last August 6 was matched against former WBC flyweight champion Medgoen Singsurat (3K Battery) the reigning Asian Boxing Council super flyweight champion with a record of 37-3, 24 knockouts. Medgoen is the same devastating puncher who knocked out Manny Pacquiao in three rounds on September 17, 1999 to win the WBC flyweight crown.
As expected Medgoen mauled Rodrigo, catching him with vicious combinations early in the fight and putting the hapless Filipino away with a solid left hook at 1:41 of the third round.
Former WBC super flyweight champion Gerry Penalosa in his first comeback fight after stepping out of retirement last December scored a second round KO over 19 year old Thailander Samingkao Chutipol when his corner threw in the towel after the scared Thai went down even before Penalosa threw a punch. Angry fans booed and walked out of the Cebu Sports & Cultural Center after it became obvious that Chutipol didn't have a clue about boxing. The Philippine Games and Amusement Board is reportedly conducting an investigation into the farce which took place last September 18 following a series of excellent fight cards at the same venue, featuring some of the country's most promising boxers against worthy opponents promoted by respected men in boxing.
