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BOXING
luminaries from promoters like Don King and Oscar de la
Hoya to boxers Mike Tyson and Manny Pacquiao are
expected to lead a huge gathering of the sport’s
stakeholders as the Philippines plays host to the 45th
World Boxing Council (WBC) Convention from November 11
to 17 at the historic Manila Hotel.
And with
barely two months left before the country will once
again be at the center of the most popular prizefighting
industry, organizers are moving heaven and earth in
ensuring its success.
“We’re
in full-blast in our preparation for the World Boxing
Convention, and we’re leaving no stone unturned in
ensuring that it would be a great success,” declared
Games and Amusement Board (GAB) chairman Eric Buhain
during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA)
Forum yesterday at Shakey’s United Nations Avenue.
“As far
as GAB is concerned, this is the biggest sporting event
in the country this year, and the world will be
watching,” said Buhain.
About a
thousand foreign delegates from 180 WBC member-countries
are expected to attend the annual event, which the
Philippines last hosted in 1975, the year the world
focused on the country for the historic “Thrilla in
Manila” between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier at the
Araneta Coliseum.
“We want
to have that name recall like that. ’Yung even after so
many generations, people would still remember this world
convention,” said Buhain.
Buhain
disclosed that his agency is also sending invitations to
other renowned boxing personalities like Ali, Frazier,
Evander Holyfield, Marvin Hagler, Roberto Duran and de
la Hoya, among others.
He added
that GAB is shelling out P20 million, but would be
expecting priceless returns of investment particularly
on the positive image the country would be projecting to
the world.
Past
Filipino boxing champions like Rolando Navarete and
Luisito Espinosa will also be given tributes in the
convention.
Several
concerns will also be tackled during the convention,
among them ring deaths, particularly those steaming from
illegal fights; the proposed revision of the scoring
system; the ratings of the boxers; policies regarding
the transfer of ring records of the boxers; and the
contracts to be signed between boxer and his manager.
“Our
objective here is to always protect the welfare of our
boxers because they are the warriors who are trading
punches inside the ring,” explained Buhain, saying he
will personally propose that a rule will be passed
giving the boxers a reasonable share of their fight
purse.
“Right
now, the boxers are getting small amount of their
respective fight purse because there is no clear-cut
policy on how much share the fighters will be getting
when they climb the ring,” he added.
Without
naming names, Buhain said a triumphant Filipino boxer
approached him recently complaining he only got almost
one-fourth of his prize money after deductions,
including the share of his managers and trainers.
“What I
want to bring to the attention of WBC member-countries
is for a boxer to have a minimum percentage of his prize
money and even after deductions have been made, he will
still get enough of his hard-earned purse.”
GAB is
also proposing to stage a 60-round slugfest, featuring
Filipino boxers against foreigners, as part of the
activities of the weeklong event. |
