Norcalboxing.net
If Argentinian promoter Osvaldo Rivero thought that last Friday’s junior featherweight title bout between his fighter Yesica Marcos and WBO champ Ana Julaton would restore his country’s reputation as a fair place to hold a fight, one look at the YouTube footage would tell you he failed.
The Filipino national anthem was cut short, and "The Star-Spangled Banner" wasn’t played for the Daly City native. Referee Robert Ramirez Sr. did a hardly objective job, chiding only Julaton for perceived fouls that did not occur from my viewpoint. None of the three judges came from America or the Philippines. Even the local TV color commentator shamelessly told viewers to score the second round 10-10 even though Julaton had floored Marcos and won the rest of the frame. (This same "analyst" gave the other nine rounds to the hometown challenger. Naturally.)
Based on what I observed, I’m only half-joking when I say the Bay Area fighter would have needed a knockout just to secure a draw in San Martin. Julaton, a stylist by trade, found herself forced into the unfamiliar position of transforming into a slugger. These uncomfortable new clothes did not suit her well; while she lost the fight by my tally, it was definitely not by six or seven points, which is what the scorecards would erroneously impart.
This night comes off the heels of two other Rivero-promoted shows in Argentina that garnered worldwide headlines for all the wrong reasons. Last July, his featherweight titlist Jonathan Barros defeated Celestino Caballero by decision—even though the Panamanian had knocked down the Argentine twice and controlled the action throughout the 12 rounds. (The WBA ordered an immediate rematch as a result; Caballero won.)
That fiasco was a pimple compared with the widespread chicken pox that plagued the boxing world six weeks ago in Buenos Aires. In another card under the Rivero banner, hometown junior flyweight Luis Lazarte bit Filipino Johnriel Casimero twice and threatened the referee’s safety when he dared dock the Argentine a point in the sixth for illegally punching his foe behind the head (The teething fighter’s words translated from Spanish: “Do you want to come out of here alive?”).
When Casimero knocked Lazarte out in the tenth stanza for the IBF interim title, mayhem ensued and a full-scale riot occurred, with chairs flying through the ring and members of the winner’s team brutally bloodied by irate fans mainly due to the lack of ringside security.
At least Julaton is back home in one piece. Who knows what would have happened had she won?
Rumors are that Mexico’s Jackie Nava, the WBA 122-pound champ, is pondering a unification bout with Marcos in the summer. Word of advice: don’t cry for Argentina.
Boxing correspondent Ryan Maquiñana is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine’s Ratings Panel. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at Norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.
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SHAME ON ARGENTINA!!!!
ReplyDeleteOsvaldo Rivero MUST BE BANNED! BOXING PROMOTERS MUST NOT DEAL WITH HIM ANYMORE.
THEY MUST REMEMBER FALKLANDS HOW THE BRITS KICK THEIR A_ _.