Deposed World Boxing Council (WBC) flyweight champion Malcolm Tuñacao’s manager Rex (Wakee) Salud choked on his words in a long distance phonecall from Bangkok yesterday morning as he struggled to explain the disaster the night before.
Salud said he was in shock. More so Tuñacao who was floored thrice in losing his crown to challenger Pongsaklek Wonjongkam on a first round knockout in Pichit province, about 375 kilometers from Bangkok, last Friday.
Under the WBC’s rule 11.WC-27, a fighter loses by automatic knockout if he is floored thrice in the same round.
The oddsmakers, who had installed Tuñacao a 2-1 favorite to retain his title, were in shock, too.
Salud said Tuñacao only had himself to blame for being overconfident, particularly as regards making the 112-pound limit. "Walang disiplina sa kain," rued Salud. "Sabi niya, ‘di siya makatulog kung gutom kaya ’di siya napigil ng kanyang mga trainer sa kainan."
Tuñacao arrived in Bangkok last Saturday, weighing 116 pounds. Thinking he could make the weight easily, Tuñacao gorged on food until his weight ballooned to 120 five days before the fight.
Salud flew into Bangkok from Cebu last Tuesday and bawled out Tuñacao when he found out his weight had gone haywire.
Thai promoter Virat Vachirattanawong didn’t make life less difficult for Tuñacao. Salud said he knew the Thais were up to no good from the start so the lack of hospitality was expected.
"Lahat ng paghihirap, ginawa sa amin ," he related. "Pinakain kami sa mga tabi-tabi lang. Nilagay kami sa low-class na hotel. Noong kumuha kami ng kwarto sa Pichit Plaza hotel, na maganda-ganda, binigyan kami ng temporary room, tapos pinaalis kami ng pulis."
Salud said he asked WBC agent Edward Thangarajah, a Sri Lankan journalist living in Bangkok, for the official scales the morning of the weigh-in so Tuñacao could test his weight but was rebuked. Thangarajah said the scales were in Bangkok and wouldn’t be available until two hours before the weigh-in. Salud, however, was told the scales were kept somewhere in town. Obviously, the Thais knew Tuñacao had problems making the weight.
For at least three days, Tuñacao hardly ate. When he finally stepped onto the scales, he weighed in at exactly 112. But his strength was gone. "Dehydrated talaga," said Salud. Tuñacao tried to recover his energy by feasting on noodles, rice and soup.
When the fight started, Tuñacao’s weight had soared to 122.
Salud theorized that since Tuñacao had little energy because of his dehydrated state despite his overnight rise in weight, he went all out for a quick knockout. That proved to be his undoing. Pongsaklek caught Tuñacao repeatedly with vicious counters to the head as the Filipino waded in. Tuñacao had lost his rhythm and control. It was a desperate, go-for-broke strategy since he knew his lungs wouldn’t hold up beyond probably three or four rounds.
"Sayang na sayang," lamented Salud. "Napakahirap pa naman makakuha ng break to fight for a world title. At huling option na ni Virat. Kung nanalo si Malcolm, we would’ve been able to dictate our terms in his next defense."Salud said he hasn’t talked to Tuñacao since the tragedy. "Hindi ko alam kung itutuloy pa niya yung plano niyang magpakasal," he continued. "Alam ko lang, hindi na niya kaya ang timbang ng flyweight baka lumaban na lang sa junior bantam or bantam in the future."