Kuchanamburi, Thailand (Feb. 22) - A violent intentional head-butt by Pan-Asia Boxing Association (PABA) bantamweight defending champion Tabtimdaeng Na Rachawat in the 8th round of the 11-round title fight saved the day for him as he eked out an unappreciated points win over challenger Glenn Porras of North Cotabato, the Philippines.
The head-butt, witnessed by a crowd of about 1,000 stunned Thai boxing fans and whose sickening sound of a forehead ripping apart the right eyebrow of the Filipino challenger was heard by everybody except the referee, was executed by Na Rachawat was Porras was pummeling him with violent body and head shots sending him on the verge of a knockdown in the 7th round.
The goring by Na Rachawat was so strong that the impact almost knocked down Porras and as the Filipino challenger backed off with blood streaming from the cut and getting into his right eye, the Thai champion launched an attack.
"I was dazed. I could not see and I lost by strength because of that head-butt," Porras later said. But he came back towards the end of round 8, squinting his right eye and launched a counterattack to stop the Thai champion's advance.
Strangely, the Thai referee did not even stop the action to declare the cause of the injury and ask the doctor to examine Porras' injury. No point was deducted against the champion for the head-butt.
Porras started strong staggering the champion with accurate head shots as early as the first round and succeeded in drawing blood by breaking the nose of Na Rachawat as early as the 3rd round.
The crowd roared as Na Rachawat came back in the 4th and 5th rounds, going to Porras' midsection. But in the 6th he lost wind and allowed the Filipino challenger to dominate the fight until the fateful 8th when the Thai champion succeeded in inflicting the injury on Porras.
He attempted to gore the Filipino challenger again in the 9th round but failed to connect. This time the referee warned him.
The cut was so deep that a flap of Porras' right eyebrow covered the upper portion of his right eye which required a total of eight stitches.
It was Porras' admirable courage that allowed him to weather the momentary attack of the Thai champion after the injury and even come close to flooring Na Rachawat towards the end of the fight.
The Thai fans, who earlier boisterously cheered Na Rachawat, fell silent as the decision declaring him winner by unanimous decision was announced. Not even Na Rachawat's victory strut around the ring received a gesture of approval from the crowd.
But as is the fact of boxing life in Thailand, a challenger must knock out his opponent to win the fight. And Glenn Porras was aware of that from the very start.
In the undercard of the PABA championship, young Rommel Asenjo lost by decision to former WBO International Jr. Flyweight Champion Sansaknoi Sor Bonsaeng but won the admiration of no less than PABA President for Asia Allan Kim.
"It was a fight that could have gone either way depending on where it would be held," said Capt. Jun Flores, a Fil-Am boxing aficionado and friend of Vice Governor Manny Pinol who joined the latter in the trip to Thailand.
"No complaints. We knew from the very start what would happen if the boys do not knock out their opponents. We will try again next time," said Vice Governor Pinol.(Emmanuel Piñol)
