Controversial Agbeko-Mares fight via Bigtime Bakbakan on AKTV on IBC

Pinoy boxing fans get a chance to watch the hugely controversial IBF bantamweight title fight  between Abner Mares and Joseph Agbeko which Mares won by a split decision and where referee Russel Mora came under bitter criticism for his failure to penalize Mares for several patently low blows.

The fight which took place at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas can be seen on Sunday on AKTV on IBC channel 13 starting at 7 pm.

Showtime commentator Al Bernstein called Mora’s performance in the ring “the most disgraceful performance of a referee that I have seen in the past 15 years.”

WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire branded Mora who refereed his fight against Fernando Montiel when he allowed the Mexican to continue after he was dropped and was in no condition to go on, “a horrible referee.”

Donaire said he was ready to face Mares if rival promoters Top Rank and Golden Boy “want to make it happen I’m always ready to fight him. I don’t mind whoever they put in front of me. If they want to get Mares, I don’t mind.”

International Boxing Federation president Daryl Peoples and Championship Committee chairman Lindsey Tucker ordered a rematch after reviewing a tape of the fight. They noted that there were several low blow fouls committed by Mares and said that while referee Mora issued numerous warnings he neglected to penalize Mares and deduct  points for the fouls.

Peoples and Tucker also ruled that the knockdown called by Mora in the eleventh round which proved crucial in deciding the outcome of the fight which Mares won by a split decision, was the result of a low blow.

Based on its review the IBF branded Mora’s conduct “inappropriate” and said it “affected the outcome of the fight and in accordance with IBF/USBA Rules, the IBF is ordering a rematch which must be held within the next 120 days or by December 14, 2011

Promoter Don King who handles Agbeko welcomed the swift and decisive action by the IBF leadership and urged the Nevada State Athletic Commission and its leaders “to step up in similar fashion as the IBF has done. After all, they have an additional obligation to protect those making wagers by insuring that fair play is paramount in their state.”

The rematch put on hold any plans for WBC/WBO champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire to face-off against Mares in a unification title fight. Arum said Donaire would take the fight in a heartbeat but that he felt Agbeko clearly deserved to get a rematch first.(pr)

NORTH COTABATO's ASENJO FIGHTS MEXICO's GARCIA FOR WBO TITLE

Kidapawan City, North Cotabato, March 11 - World Boxing Organization (WBO) Oriental Miniflyweight Champion Rommel Asenjo, 21, ranked Number 2 in the world by the WBO, takes a crack at the world championship when he fights Interim Champion Mexican Raul "Rayito" Garcia April 30 in Mexico for the title to be vacated by the current champion Donnie Nietes of the Philippines.

The championship fight, arranged by ALA Boxing Promotions of Cebu City which now promotes Asenjo and two other Braveheart boxers from North Cotabato, was set following the decision of Nietes to move up to the junior flyweight division for a possible match up against reigning WBO champion Giovanni Segura.

Asenjo, a farmer's son from the frontier town of Pigcawayan, North Cotabato, will be the first Braveheart boxer to get a crack at a legitimate world boxing title. In June last year, another Braveheart boxer, Edrin Dapudong of M'lang, stunned Mexican boxing by scoring a first round knockout of Jesus Jimenez to win the World Boxing Council Flyweight Silver title. He lost the title, considered as a junior belt,  in his first defense in September of last year.

Called "Little Assassin" by his handlers for his ruthless fighting style where he stalks his opponent inside the ring, Asenjo has a record of 20 wins with 16 knockouts and only two losses, both by decision.

Lively and friendly outside the ring, Asenjo is described by Braveheart chief trainer Noli Pinol as a "sadist" when he wears the gloves because he loves to punish his opponents. He got into trouble several times and slapped with point deductions for hitting his opponent while already down and even after the bell ending the round has sounded.

"I have warned him about this and he has been told never to do that in a world championship fight because he could get disqualified," said former North Cotabato governor Manny Pinol who owns the Braveheart Boxing Club along with his 10 brothers. 

Asenjo is one of the eight boxers now managed by the former governor who are all products of a grassroots boxing program started in the province in 1998 which included the hiring of a Cuban boxing coach, Honorato Espinosa, in 2005.

The championship fight on April 30 will be Asenjo's toughest assignment in his young boxing career thus far. 

Garcia, nicknamed "Rayito" and one of two boxing brothers from Mexico, is a 28-year-old veteran and former world champion himself who won the title from Filipino Florante Condes. He defended the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title four times before losing it to a South African fighter Nkosinathi Joyi but came back to win the WBO Interim title or the junior championship.

A southpaw like Asenjo, Garcia holds an impressive record of 29 wins with 17 knockouts, one loss and one draw. He also has the advantage of fighting in his own territory.

"Asenjo will have to win this fight by knockout," Pinol said adding that the North Cotabato fighter is capable of scoring a knockout given his tremendous punching power.

The Filipino Oriental champion will prepare for the world championship fight in the Braveheart Boxing Farm at the foot of Mt. Apo in this city. He and his team are expected to fly to Mexico a few days before the fight.(pr)

ABS CBN MULLS "THE GREAT FILIPINO MATCH UPS"

Philippine television network giant ABS CBN has started laying the groundwork for the biggest fight card matching the brightest young Filipino boxing talents from the ALA Boxing Gym of Cebu City against the Braveheart Boxing Club (BBC) of North Cotabato in an event called "The Great Match Ups: Road to the World Cup."

ABS CBN Vice President Peter Musngi, in a meeting with North Cotabato Vice Governor and BBC president Manny Pinol last Monday, proposed matching the big names of ALA Boxing Gym against the little-known boxers from Mindanao as an elimination event to choose the country's possible participants in the next World Cup against Mexico expected to be staged this year.

In the proposed match ups, Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista (ALA Gym) will go up against WBO Interim Oriental bantamweight champion Rolando "Smooth Operator" Magbanua (BBC) at 122 lbs., Z "The Dream" Gorres (ALAGym) fights WBO Asia Pacific Bantamweight Champion Jundy "Pretty Boy" Maraon at 118 lbs., AJ "Bazooka" Banal (ALA Gym) meets WBO ASPAC Youth bantamweight champion Glenn "The Rock" Porras (BBC), Milan Melindo (ALA Gym) versus newly-crowned WBO Junior Flyweight Oriental Champion Edrin "The Sting" Dapudong (BBC) and WBO miniflyweight champion Donnie "Ahas" Nietes (ALA Gym) against BBC's Rommel "Little Assassin" Asenjo.

"This will be the biggest match up of Filipino boxing talents and ABS CBN would like to be part of it," Musngi said adding that he will propose the idea, which has been accepted by Vice Gov. Pinol, to ALA Gym President Antonio Aldeguer.

Vice Gov. Pinol said the idea of BBC fighters going up against the more popular ALA Gym fighters "offers an exciting opportunity for the Mindanao boys to prove their worth."

"We certainly welcome the idea. In fact, it has been broached to us long before and while I personally am not hot to the idea of pitting a Filipino against another Filipino in boxing, making this event as the elimination for the big event like the World Cup is simply irresistible," said Vice Gov. Pinol.

The Braveheart Boxing Club, jointly owned by the Pinol brothers of North Cotabato, started only 6 years ago. Built on the foundation established by Cuban Coach Honorato Espinosa who stayed in North Cotabato for 18 months, BBC's coaching staff led by chief trainer Noli Pinol, Vice Gov. Pinol's younger brother, is now beefed up by the presence of Nonito Donaire Sr., father and estranged trainer of world flyweight champion Nonito Jr. As of this date, the club already has three WBO regional champions and is hoping to produce its first world champion this year.

"The boys are ripe. They are ready for the big time," said Vice Gov. Pinol.

The five fighters being proposed to go up against are BBC's top prospects for world championships. Magbanua, 23, is undefeated in 15 fights with 10 KOs; Maraon, 24, is also undefeated with 13 wins (10 KOs) and 1 draw; Porras, 23, has 21 wins (17 KOs) against 3 losses; Dapudong, 23, has 20 wins (16 KOs) and 2 losses; while Asenjo, 19, holds a record of 13 wins (11 KOs) and 2 losses.

Maraon will defend his title against Tanzania's Anthony Mathias while Asenjo will go up against another Tanzanian for the vacant WBO Minimumweight Oriental title on May 23 in Ozamis City.

"I hope ABS CBN will be able to pull this one through. It's an event that we do not want to miss. In as far as Braveheart Boxing Club is concerned, it's a Go for us. The ball is in the court of ALA Gym," Vice Gov. Pinol said

ABAP-Davao President Ibuyan lauds ABS-CBN’s “Boxing Idol”

DAVAO CITY – City Councilor Edgar Ibuyan has lauded the holding of the ABS-CBN’s “Boxing Idol”, the search for the next boxing star in the country.
Ibuyan, president of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines-Davao City Chapter, said that the “Boxing Idol” is very timely that our young boxers from all over the country will be given a chance to prove their worth to become the next boxing world champs.
He said boxers training under the ABAP-Davao chapter are also showing talents and skills where some of them already earned medals in various regional and national boxing competitions.
The “Boxing Idol” is already in the semi-final round with eight boxers qualified out of the original 32 pre-screeened boxers.
The ABS-CBN had formally unveiled last Nov. 9 the trail-blazing reality-based boxing program aimed at discovering the next Pinoy boxing superstar.
Dubbed “Boxing Idol”, the search for the next Pinoy boxing star is a collaboration between ABS-CBN's Regional Network Group and ABS-CBN Sports in cooperation with the ALA Boxing Gym in Cebu City.
The program, which will be aired by the network over Visayas and Mindanao on Sundays at 10AM, is hailed as the most exciting professional grassroots boxing competition on television in Visayas and Mindanao.
The tournament featured 32 young boxers all vying for the titles in four weight classes, and the chance to be chosen as the “Idol” of the tournament.
Aside from the purses and prize money to be won by the winners in the four weight categories, the ultimate boxing “Idol” will also bring home P100,000 plus boxing equipment.
Four boxers will be declared winner in the four weight categories at stake, but only one will bring home the “Idol” title based on fan support and other criteria set by organizers. (PR)