Saturday boxing, a different night out

This article today is a good example of how to go off-tangent. If this were written on a text(ed) message, I would have added “he, he, he”. Indeed, rather than write about Hon. Rodrigo Abellanosa’s possible violation of a set of laws, founded on an obvious conflict of interest and instead of commenting on the complaints reportedly anchored on four criminal statutes, lodged by his Honor, Cebu City Mayor Michael L. Rama against his projected political rival in 2013, both of which topics are frightening in their plausible outcomes, I am composing a write-up which should, in the first place, be written in the sports section of this paper. Anyway, am I not also entitled to my own idiosyncrasies?

This Saturday, there is a boxing promotion to be held at the Waterfront Hotel, here in Cebu City. I plan to be there and watch it. As if I am the promoter’s advertising man, (and I am not) let me claim that the presentation is worth every peso we may spend for it. Poor guys like me will appreciate the reasonable pricing of the tickets. To demonstrate my point, a ticket is cheaper than buying one case of your favorite ice-cold beer.

But there is more to it than the cost of a ticket. Saturday’s card features some of our more promising boxers who need to feel the experience of added pressure of fighting before large audiences. Many a boxer will tell us that their psyche is more daunted by the number of spectators watching the contest than by the presence of a foe in the ring. Big crowds cramp their styles and more often, the results are disastrous. Should there be a huge gathering this Saturday, we, in effect, help our pugilists accustom their minds on focusing on their fight plan instead of being affected by the glare of thousands of spectators.

Boxers are, to a certain extent, like movie actors. They build their careers by playing on an ever increasing assemblage of fans. That is their simple measure of success. The more fans they have, the higher they step in the rankings. Incidentally, it is also their highest motivation to see that their fan base is growing with each fight night. After all, the challenge of putting up a creditable performance for their horde of supporters makes them achieve one goal higher every step of the way. Let us not be stingy. I suppose, we must show our support to our boxers.

A sports columnist mentioned something like it is the amount of the purse that dictates who a very famous boxer we know should face next. That his view of a boxing bout is determined by the kind of money he takes from it is both understandable and realistic but, unfortunately it, too, is very sad, if not corrupted. It should be the quality of the competition that must be given premium consideration. Because boxing is a spectator sports, the entertainment of the crowd should be the main factor.

Judging from the reported credentials of the protagonists this Saturday, we expect the fight card to be of high competitive quality. ALA Promotions has promised fight fans that all matches are even. No fighter is going to have a walk in the park. For instance, our main man in the contest is Filipino boxer Milan Melindo. He is well on his way to becoming a world champion. That much we are told. His last few opponents were men of world ratings and naturally, his victories gave him needed experience. More importantly, his next foe, Venezuelan Jean Piero Perez is a former interim flyweight king. His handlers claimed that Perez has not come to lose. It should mean that the visitor is prepared for war. Should Melindo stamp his class over this foe, he will probably be fighting for a world crown next.

So, if you need a wholesome Saturday night out, skip your videoke date. Let us all make it to the Pinoy Pride and see if we can be really proud of our boxers.