PHILIPPINE BOXING AND THE SPECTER OF COVID-19

​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