Aussie boxer dies after losing to Pinoy

MANILA, Philippines - Games and Amusements Board chairman Ramon Guanzon yesterday expressed sadness over the death of boxer Braydon Smith two days after the Australian lost to his Filipino opponent in Queensland, Australia.

“It’s another sad day in boxing. It’s really unfortunate that accidents like this happen in boxing,” the GAB chairman told The STAR yesterday.

Smith, who was 23, climbed the ring against John Vincent Moralde last Saturday at the Rumours International in Toowoomba. It was a battle between two undefeated featherweights.

At stake was the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council Continental featherweight championship.

The 20-year-old Moralde, who hails from Davao City, dominated the fight and won a unanimous decision. A report by Rappler.com said there was no point when the fight should have been stopped.

After the bout, the two boxers even posed for a photograph. But shortly after, the Australian collapsed inside his dressing room and was rushed to the hospital. He was pronounced dead yesterday.

Smith took his first loss in 13 fights and it was fatal.

Moralde, unbeaten in 12 fights, is back in the country and must have felt all the pain hearing the news yesterday that Smith had passed away after the ill-fated bout.

The Filipino camp has already offered prayers to the family of Smith.

Guanzon said the GAB will have to look into the case despite the belief that Moralde fought a legitimate fight.

“It’s really unfortunate that accidents like this happen inside the ring. This is the reason why the orientation of boxing referees is to stop the fight too early than too late,” said Guanzon.

“As of now we are assuming that authorities in Australia were in control of the fight,” Guanzon added.

There’s a very low record of ring deaths in Australia although two of those who died in the country were Filipinos – featherweight Alberto Jangalay in 1971 and Dencio Cabanela in 1921.

Guanzon recalled many incidents of ring deaths, including that death of the young Karlo Maquinto who collapsed after a fight in Caloocan City and died a week later in 2012.