Lopezes share high hopes for Barriga

LONDON – The Lopez father-and-son tandem watched closely from the VIP section as the country’s only Olympic boxing bet Mark Anthony Barriga clobbered Italy’s Manuel Cappai, 17-7, to advance to the second round of the lightflyweight division at the ExCel South Arena 2 here Tuesday afternoon.

Former Philippine Sports Commission chairman Mel Lopez and son Manny, the Philippine delegation’s chef de mission, agreed that Barriga could hold the key to ending a 16-year medal drought in the quadrennial Games. The Philippines hasn’t collected an Olympic medal since Onyok Velasco took a silver in lightflyweight boxing at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

But dangerous waters lurk ahead. Even assuming Barriga hurdles Kazakhstan’s Birzhan Zhakypov on Saturday, he’ll face a huge challenge against either China’s Zou Shiming or Cuba’s Yosbany Veita Soto in the quarterfinals. It’s to Barriga’s advantage that Zou, a three-time world champion, and Soto will face off in the second round, meaning the 5-2 Panabo, Davao del Norte, southpaw will deal with only one of the top two contenders in the event he beats Zhakypov who advanced via a come-from-behind 18-17 verdict over France’s Jeremy Beccu.

The elder Lopez, 76, observed a unique feature in Barriga’s style. “He has a lot of shoulder movement and generates power from his shoulders which is rare for a boxer,” said Lopez who was ABAP president for five years until he was appointed PSC chairman in 1993. “Barriga is quick and smart. It wouldn’t be fair to compare him with our former Olympic fighters but it’s safe to say Barriga fights with a lot of heart. Buo ang loob ng bata. Against Cappai, he showed his superiority. He has a tendency to duck then counter quickly. His speed is a big advantage. He also has very good footwork like Manny Pacquiao. Barriga’s feet are always in position for an attack.”

Lopez said the country’s Beijing Olympic bet Harry Tañamor, who was ousted in the first round, had the ability to block an opponent’s path with his long legs – that’s something Barriga could learn from. And Onyok Velasco’s shortcoming was coming about 4 1/2 inches shy of cutting off Bulgaria’s Daniel Petrov Bojilov in the 1996 finals. In Barriga’s case, he has the tools to cut down even a fighter like Cappai who is four inches taller.

“I think Barriga has a good chance to winning a medal,” said Lopez who was Manila Mayor from 1986 to 1992. “I have a strong feeling about this boy. I think he can beat the Kazakh in the second round. I notice Zhakypov likes to yo-yo his body using the left jab to keep a distance away. What Barriga has to work on is his defense. He has to remember to bring up his guard. But his quickness will be the key to beating Zhakypov.”

Lopez’ son Manny said Barriga kept his composure as Cappai resorted to bullying tactics. “I thought Cappai underestimated Mark because of his lack of size and experience,” said Lopez, formerly the ABAP president. “Honestly, I can’t understand how Cappai even got as many as seven points. Cappai tried to overpower and intimidate Mark by pushing him around, even wrestling him down to the canvas. I wasn’t nervous that Cappai was bigger than Mark. From the onset, I knew Mark is capable of winning a medal. If Mark advances to the third round and fights either Zuo or Soto, I think he’ll do fine.”

Barriga’s parents Edgar and Melita flew in last Monday as Procter & Gamble guests to witness their son’s Olympic debut. They never saw Barriga until after the fight for a few minutes in the dugout. The day before, they spoke on the phone for less than two minutes. Barriga didn’t want to lose focus or feel the pressure of his parents’ presence in the stadium.

“Mark has improved so much,” said his father. “I should know. He didn’t show too much side-to-side movement but was able to slip punches by leaning away with his body. I was confident he would beat Cappai even if the Italian was so much taller. I think Mark is more comfortable fighting taller opponents.”

His mother prayed throughout the three-round bout. She didn’t pray so much for a victory as keeping her son away from harm or injury. They will stay around for Barriga’s next fight but are due to return home on Sunday. P&G will treat them to tickets to other Olympic events and a tour of the city in their first trip abroad.

Barriga, 19, controlled the fight against Cappai from start to finish. He led, 5-2, after the first round then hiked his edge to 9-4 after the second and dominated the third to win running away, 17-7. Here is how the five judges scored it – Cuba’s Trueba del Porto had it 19-9, Brazil’s Kennedy Jones 12-7, USA’s David Llaurado 17-7. Uzbekistan’s Babodir Jumanizayou 14-5 and Poland’s Mariusz Gorny 20-8. Moroccan referee Zoubid Hassan administered a standing eight-count on Cappai after he was jolted by a left straight in the first round. Hassan had earlier ruled a slip on Cappai although not a few ringsiders thought it was a knockdown.

Barriga did his best impression of Pacquiao in circling away from his opponent after landing a left straight on the backfoot. He threw combinations that rattled Cappai and was reminiscent of Pacquiao mastering a much taller Antonio Margarito. There was no doubt that Barriga stole the show as the smallest man in the Olympic boxing program.