Loose cannon

Manny Pacquiao knows he’s in for trouble if his fight against Agapito Sanchez goes the 12-round distance at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco this morning (Manila time).

He’s not sure where the judges’ loyalties lie. All three judges are American and two are Hispanic just like Sanchez who’s from the Dominican Republic. Raul Armando Caiz, 48, is from Texas and has worked over 50 world title fights as a referee and judge. Ricardo Bays, 53, is from Florida and is exclusively a judge with over 30 championship bouts in his resume.

Both Caiz and Bays are no strangers to Filipino fighters. In 1991, Caiz was a judge in the Melchor Cob Castro-Rolando Pascua match for the World Boxing Council (WBC) lightflyweight title in Inglewood, California. Pascua, a Cebuano making the first defense of the WBC crown, lost on a 10th round stoppage and trailed in Caiz’ scorecard when it ended. Bays was a judge in the Welcome Ncita-Jesus Salud bout for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) superbantamweight title in Italy in 1992. Salud, born in Ilocos Sur, lost on points and Bays scored it for Ncita.

Then there’s Marshall Walker from California. A relative unknown, Walker worked his first judging assignment in 1998 when Carlos Navarro outpointed Nicky Bentz for the World Boxing Union (WBU) superbantamweight crown in California.

Caiz is a World Boxing Organization (WBO) licensed referee and judge. He’s loyal to that governing body because it butters his bread. Bays, in contrast, is an IBF loyalist although he has also been contracted by the WBO and World Boxing Association (WBA).

Pacquiao is the IBF 122-pound champion while Sanchez holds the WBO belt. If Bays is partial to the IBF and Caiz prefers the WBO, then the "neutral" vote belongs to Walker who isn’t Hispanic.

It’s difficult to predict how a judge views a fight. Sometimes, a judge will give more credit to a fighter who’s aggressive but isn’t as accurate. Sometimes, a judge will favor a fighter who isn’t as busy but whose blows are more telling.

That’s why Pacquiao isn’t taking any chances against Sanchez. He’s going for broke. If there’s an opening in the first round, Pacquiao will go for a quick knockout. Sanchez, a brawler, may not slug it out against Pacquiao and instead box from long range to avoid an early head-on confrontation. If he sticks and runs, Sanchez will try to slow drag the fight until the final bell. He knows Pacquiao likes to mix it up so he’ll do everything to upset the Filipino’s rhythm.

The loose cannon in the ring equation is referee Marty Denkin. Last year, Denkin slapped a point deduction on Gerry Peñalosa for a wet corner that caused In Joo Cho to slip during their WBC superflyweight title bout in Seoul. Denkin also didn’t rule a knockdown when Peñalosa clearly floored Cho with a punch to the ribs in the ninth round. If Denkin didn’t slap a deduction on Peñalosa and ruled a knockdown instead of slip on Cho, the Filipino would’ve won the fight on a unanimous decision. As it turned out, Peñalosa lost by a split verdict. Denkin wasn’t a judge in the fight but decided the outcome just the same. That’s how crucial a referee’s role is in the ring. He can make or unmake a fighter.

In yesterday’s rules meeting at the Nikko Hotel in downtown San Francisco, Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach raised the issue of Sanchez’ dirty tactics to Denkin. According to Pacquiao’s business manager Rod Nazario, Denkin told Roach he’s aware of Sanchez’ tricks. Not to worry, assured Denkin, he’ll call it fair and square. Yeah, right.

Denkin didn’t call it fair and square when Peñalosa lost to Cho in their rematch. His credibility stinks.

In 1980, Denkin suffered a black mark in his record when he failed to stop the Lupe Pintor-Johnny Owen fight for the WBA bantamweight crown before disaster struck. An unconscious Owen was carried out of the ring on a stretcher and died because of injuries sustained in the fight.

Denkin, a Shriner Mason, has worked over 100 world title fights dating back to 1971. He retired from the police in 1986.

Denkin was born in New York and claimed a Filipio family from Cebu – the Buenaventuras – practically adopted him when he was a boy. The Buenaventuras lived close to the Denkins’ home in New York. When Denkin was assigned in Vietnam as a civilian worker during the War, he often took trips to Cebu to visit the Buenaventuras who had moved back home from the US.

In 1969, Denkin accompanied his protege Ruben Navarro to fight Rene Barrientos for the vacant WBC junior lightweight title in Manila. Navarro lost on points and Denkin probably never forgave the Filipinos for it. In 1996, Denkin was back here to judge the Luisito Espinosa-Cesar Soto bout for the WBC featherweight crown.

Pacquiao shouldn’t allow Denkin or the three judges to decide the outcome of the fight. He’s got to go for the jugular from the start – put the pressure on Sanchez, suffocate him with punches from all angles, and send him back to the Dominican Republic with a fist mark tattooed on his face.

Denkin’s unpredictable. You’ll never know what’s inside his devious mind. He recently attacked Jose Sulaiman in the press after working 25 years for the WBC president as a lapdog. Two of the three judges are Hispanic so they’ll likely be sympathetic to Sanchez. It won’t be smooth sailing for Pacquiao but he’s a survivor.

Pacquiao can’t afford to lose his head – he’s got to fight intelligently. Sanchez will try every trick in and out of the book to pull the rug from under Pacquiao who must be prepared for the eventuality of a Pier 6 brawl.

Sanchez is durable and tough. He won’t go down easily. Pacquiao’s defense will be put to a severe test because Sanchez is a hard hitter, too. In the end, the last man standing will be the smarter fighter with the bigger heart and the bigger punch.