RING MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY

Columns

Canelo Demands $100 Million for Crawford Rematch

By Dong Secuya

When fight figures cross into nine-digit guarantees, the conversation usually turns cynica…

I was having a very hard time trying to write this article. I have been a boxing fan for almost three decades. Even if I try to apologize for it or try to rationalize its existence it will not bring Lito Sisnorio back.

There will always be people drawn to the sport, either as active protagonists or as mere spectators.

Andy Balaba would be my earliest recollection of a Filipino boxer dying due to ring related injuries. This was in 1982, the year Lito Sisnorio was born, in a fight held in South Korea. Were there steps initiated back then to prevent another tragedy? There was the usual uproar and then followed by silence until the next ring death came along. Reevaluating safety measures is never enough.

It would be easy for me to blame the Philippine economy. But then again, it is election season so I will just let the voters decide. There will always be leeches and vultures hovering around the sport. Even boxers who become champion wind up being blindsided. Just ask Luisito Espinosa. But the greater percentage of fighters are those who wind up without a title belt

and earn chump change. These are the ones that are being fed to the wolves. Every boxer who dies has a thousand knives buried in his back.

The greatest title fight of all time happened in our backyard. Our jaws will drop in awe every time we see a replay of the Thrilla in Manila. But we also shake our heads when we remember Muhammad Ali’s gradual motor deterioration.

Boxers know what they are getting into. Yet, they still walk into the ring and put their dreams on the line. For that they deserve our respect. Remember Lito Sisnorio every time you call a boxer a bum, a faggot or any racist or derogatory term.

Corrupt judges, referees and organizations should also bear in mind the life and death struggle that goes on in the ring. Banning boxing will also make things worse. People in developing countries will continue to fight for money. Without a legal sanctioning body, boxing will deteriorate into the level of a more dangerous streetfight.

Lito Sisnorio will not be the last ring death we will see in our lifetime. We should bear that in mind every time we watch.