ASIAN BOXING
  • Home
  • Asian News
  • Champions
    • World Champions
    • Profiles
    • OPBF Champions
    • WBO Asia Pacific Champions
    • Japanese Champions
  • World Title Results
  • World Title Previews
  • Posters!
  • Female
    • Previews
    • Results
    • Schedule
  • Thinking out East!
  • Previews
  • Oriental Opinions
  • Upcoming Fights
  • Features
  • Taka's Title Shot!
  • The Asian Boxing Podcast
  • Videos
  • On This Day
  • Forum
  • Contact Us
  • Miscellaneous
  • Guest Articles
  • Interviews
  • Schedule
  • Donate
  • Japanese Boxing FAQ
  • Boxing Raise
  • Rookie of the Year
  • Champion Carnival
  • Series Break Downs
  • Newsletter
  • Thank You
  • Video Hunt
  • Asian Boxing Fighter List
  • The Watch List
  • Isakura

PHILIPPINE BOXING AND THE SPECTER OF COVID-19

5/21/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
​By Rene Bonsubre,Jr

News of the WBO world title fight between Filipino Giemel Magramo (24-1,20KO’s) and Junto Nakatani (20-0,15KO’s) of Japan came as ray of hope in an otherwise gloomy sports landscape in the Philippines. This fight is for the flyweight crown vacated by Japan’s Kosei Tanaka last February and was initially set for April 4 in Tokyo.

Magramo told this writer in a short chat last March that he was told he could be fighting on June 6 and he was continuing to train at the Elorde Gym. But, the dire situation worldwide caused by the coronavirus pandemic continues. Now,it seems the fight will take place in Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall on July 4.

Arrangements for the fight, as well as the safety protocols are among the concerns of Magramo’s manager Johnny Elorde, Japanese promoter Akihiko Honda, Games and Amusements Board (GAB) chairman Baham Mitra ,WBO Asia Pacific chairman Leon Panoncillo,and Tsuyoshi Yasukochi of the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC).

Travelling to Japan will be a huge problem at this time but boxing stakeholders and fans hope things will get better come July.

WBO Vice President Panoncillo made this writer aware last Tuesday of the safety guidelines of the World Boxing Organization for sanction approval which include:

1.Only critical personnel for the staging of the event are allowed inside.

2.If fans are allowed, there should be one section row empty in between and one vacant seat in between fans in the occupied row.

3.Temperature checks, hand santizer sections, masks and avoidance of crowding.

4.Covid-19 testing for boxers, cornermen, and officials.

The entire set of guidelines is more detailed but it can be done.

Another WBO champion, John Riel Casimero  (29-4,20KO’s)from the Philippines, (29-4,20KO’s) has also been waiting for the final date for the  bantamweight unification bout against WBA/IBF champ Naoya Inoue (19-0,16KO’s) of Japan.

In a conversation with this writer three weeks ago, Casimero strongly stated that he does not want substitute Joshua Greer (22-1-1,12KO’s) of the United States, who is the top contender for his crown.

Casimero told this writer today that he trusts MP (Manny Pacquiao) Promotions chief Sean Gibbons will deliver the Inoue fight in July. Casimero is still in the United States continuing to wait and train.

Another Filipino world champ, Jerwin Ancajas,who holds the IBF junior bantamweight title, is  also waiting for the month of July.

Ancajas (32-1-2,22KO’s) was supposed to defend his IBF world junior bantamweight title last April against Mexican Jonathan Javier Rodriguez (21-1,15KO’s) in the U.S.

Ancajas’ manager Joven Jimenez told this writer today that Ancajas is staying in shape and could be defending his belt in July. Ancajas is in the Philippines and will need to travel to the U.S. before the fight can be set.

Here in the Philippines, local fighters are still waiting for plans to restart the boxing industry. These boxers are the sports equivalent of minimum wage earners. They have received government aid but it is still not enough if contact sports is not resumed soon.

​
Of course, the people in charge will have to weigh their decision to reopen. There is no price tag on a human life. But, the powers that be in the Philippines can learn from what the UFC and German football are doing; two major sports franchises that have resumed activities under strict testing  and staging events behind closed doors.

As I have stated in a previous article, only a cure and a vaccine for Covid-19 will make things return to the way it used to be.

PHOTO- left to right – Giemel Magramo, John Riel Casimero, Jerwin Ancajas
0 Comments
    Become a Patron!

    Guests!

    These articles are submitted by guest writers and sites. They aren't submitted by the usual folk behind Asian Boxing and don't fall in line with our editorial stance, giving a fresh view on various boxing issues from the Asian boxing scene.

    Archives

    August 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    August 2015

    Categories

    All
    Akira Yaegashi
    Albert Pagara
    Alcohol
    Alvin Lagumbay
    Ama Larbie
    Arthur Villanueva
    Aston Palicte
    Bantamweight
    Ben Mananquil
    Boxing
    Boxingbase
    Carl Jammes Martin
    Carlo Caesar Penalosa
    Carlo Demecillo
    Casey Morton
    Christian Araneta
    C Johnson
    Clyde Azarcon
    Coronavirus
    Covid 19
    Covid-19
    Daigo Higa
    Daiki Kaneko
    Daniel Sharman
    Dave Penalosa
    Defending The Lineal Championship
    Defry Palulu
    Donnie Nietes
    Dubai
    Eaktawan Krungthepthonburi
    Edward Heno
    End Of Year Review
    Eric Armit
    Free To View
    Froilan Saludar
    Genesis Servania
    Genki Hanai
    Gennady Golovkin
    George Delis
    Giemel Magramo
    Ginjiro Shigeoka
    Greenery
    Hardest Punchers
    Health
    Hinata Maruta
    Hiraku Marugame
    Hiroaki Teshigawara
    Hirofumi Mukai
    Hiroto Kyoguchi
    Hisashi Amagasa
    Hong Kong
    Hozumi Hasegawa
    Hwang Kil Kim
    Interview
    Ivan Soriano
    Jackie
    Jeo Santisima
    Jerwin Ancajas
    Jessebelle Pagaduan
    Jessie Cris Rosales
    Jhack Tepora
    Joe Noynay
    Joe Tejones
    John Riel Casimero
    John Ruba
    Jonathan Francisco
    Jonathan Taconing
    Jong Seong Kang
    Juiki Tatsuyoshi
    Junriel Jimenez
    Junto Nakatani
    Katsunari Takayama
    Kazuhiro Nishitani
    Kazuki Tanaka
    Kazuto Ioka
    Keita Obara
    Kenichi Ogawa
    Kenny Demecillo
    Ken Shiro
    Kohei Kono
    Koki Eto
    Koki Inoue
    Kosei Tanaka
    Kosuke Saka
    Licensing
    Lineal
    Marcus Bellinger
    Mark John Yap
    Mark Magsayo
    Marlon Tapales
    Masao Nakamura
    Masayoshi Hashizume
    Masayoshi Nakatani
    Michael Dasmarinas
    Miyo Yoshida
    Naoya Haruguchi
    Naoya Inoue
    Nick Skok
    Nonito Donaire
    Nordine Oubaali
    Olympics
    Pedro Taduran
    Philippines
    Preview
    Randy Petalcorin
    Reiya Konishi
    Rene Bonsubre Jr
    Rene Mark Cuarto
    Rikki Naito
    Riku Kano
    Ringnews24
    Robert Paradero
    Romero Duno
    Ryo Akaho
    Ryoichi Taguchi
    Ryo Matsumoto
    Ryo Miyazaki
    Ryosuke Iwasa
    Ryota Murata
    Sammy Tehuayo
    Samson Lu
    Samuel Salva
    Satoshi Hosono
    Satoshi Shimizu
    Shingo Wake
    Shin Ono
    Shinsuke Yamanaka
    Shohei Omori
    Sho Ishida
    Sho Nakazawa
    Shun Kubo
    Shuya Masaki
    Snips And Snipes
    South Korea
    Srisaket Sor Rungvisai
    Supplements
    Takahiro Ao
    Takahiro Yamamoto
    Takashi Miura
    Takashi Uchiyama
    Takuma Inoue
    Takumi Sakae
    Takuya Kogawa
    Tatsuya Fukuhara
    Tattoos
    Teiru Kinoshita
    The Evil Empire
    The Fight Pod
    The Four Kings
    Tibo Monabesa
    Tomjune Mangubat
    Tomoki Kameda
    Troy Parslow
    Vic Saludar
    Vincent Astrolabio
    WBO
    WBSS
    Wenfeng Ge
    Wsb
    Yoshihiro Kamegai
    Yu Kimura
    Yushi Tanaka

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Asian News
  • Champions
    • World Champions
    • Profiles
    • OPBF Champions
    • WBO Asia Pacific Champions
    • Japanese Champions
  • World Title Results
  • World Title Previews
  • Posters!
  • Female
    • Previews
    • Results
    • Schedule
  • Thinking out East!
  • Previews
  • Oriental Opinions
  • Upcoming Fights
  • Features
  • Taka's Title Shot!
  • The Asian Boxing Podcast
  • Videos
  • On This Day
  • Forum
  • Contact Us
  • Miscellaneous
  • Guest Articles
  • Interviews
  • Schedule
  • Donate
  • Japanese Boxing FAQ
  • Boxing Raise
  • Rookie of the Year
  • Champion Carnival
  • Series Break Downs
  • Newsletter
  • Thank You
  • Video Hunt
  • Asian Boxing Fighter List
  • The Watch List
  • Isakura