WAR IN OZAMIZ

Before you become hysterical and start to gather information as to how many are the casualties, War in Ozamiz is only the title of the very first time boxing event held in Ozamiz City as far as i can remember on May 23, 2009 at Medina Gymnasium. The boxing event features boxers from the Braveheart Boxing Promotions owned and managed by Vice Gov. Manny Piñol of South Cotabato against boxers mostly from Cagayan de Oro down to Ozamiz City.

The two main events features two promising young boxers whom I suspect would become world champions in a year or so against two patsy African boxers whom i believe were given decent purse just to fight here to improve the winning record of the hometown boys and get a crack at the world rankings for future bigger fights. Other supporting bouts feature newcomers which has ring records ranging from 5 to 15 wins, forget the losses anyway. Notable personalities which I only read in newspapers and seen on TV were there. To name a few, Gov. Piñol who along with Dennis Principe are the commentators of the show, Leon Panoncillo of WBO since the event is sanctioned by WBO, Samuel Gello-ani owner of SGG promotions in Cebu who co-promoted the event and some others.

What urged me to write about the War in Ozamiz (asia vs africa) is the experience of watching live boxing event for the first time. I know I am not the only first timer there because even those people beside said that it was 30 or 40 years ago since a boxing match such as the one we're watching was held in our place. Being the first timer and a fan of the sport even before Manny Pacquiao rose to fame, i couldn't help but appreciate the reality behind boxing. The jam-packed gym was enthralled by every knockdowns and crispy punches coming from every ring gladiators. Well, bets could not be absent in events like this. People are doing things like what they did in a cockfight which leads me into comparing boxers to rosters used in derby. What Pacquiao has done to boxing is very great. Next to basketball as the number 1 sport in the country, boxing comes closely next. Given another two years, promoters and boxing gyms will sprout like mushrooms.

Over-all, i could say that it was a successful staging of the event given the fact that a huge tv network was there to cover several good matches to be featured in its cable station and hearsays have it to be aired on a filipino channel abroad. You see what pride it can give to Ozamiz to be featured and seen globally because of a boxing event. My son whom I tagged along first enjoyed the supporting bouts until he got restless by the gradual flow of the crowd. He said he wouldn't want to go with me again if that happens soon. But for myself, I would surely get a comfortable seat next time if and if an event like this may happen again.