Four holes in Boco’s head

Bed-ridden fighter Sonny Boco of Cebu appears to be on the way to recovery but Thai doctors aren’t ready to release him from the intensive care unit of a frontier district hospital, 300 kilometers from Bangkok, his manager Terry Carter told The STAR the other day.

Boco, 22, was knocked out by Pornsawan Porpamook Kratingdaeng-Gym in the fifth round of a Pan Asia Boxing Association (PABA) minimumweight title match in the Cambodian border town of Polpot last April 11. Filipino judge Silvestre Abainza, who was at ringside, said Thai referee Radong Nabangchan failed to prevent Pornsawan from attacking a defenseless Boco after signaling an end to the bout. Pornsawan landed at least five punches as Boco was on the way back to his corner. Boco later lost consciousness and was rushed to the hospital.

Games and Amusements Board (GAB) chairman Eduardo Villanueva said Abainza’s eyewitness account appears to point to "officiating lapses" and has asked PABA head Alan Kim of Korea for a full investigation of the incident.

GAB physician Dr. Nasser Cruz said he is in constant contact with Thai neurosurgeon Dr. Prathep by cellphone to monitor Boco’s condition. Dr. Cruz noted that Boco underwent a craniectomy to remove a blood clot in his brain.

Dr. Cruz disclosed that two operations were performed on Boco since his confinement in Chanteburi. Doctors drilled four holes into Boco’s skull to drain the blood that clotted in his brain. Then a portion of his cranium was removed for doctors to relieve the pressure on the membrane.

Last week, Villanueva sent his executive assistant Joe Angeles to Thailand to look into Boco’s situation. Angeles was supposed to confer with Thai matchmaker Narong Intrakol and bring back a tape of the fight but came home empty-handed after three days. A GAB source said Thai boxing officials avoided Angeles.

It was a difficult trip for Angeles who hired a taxi for the four-hour drive from Bangkok to Chanteburi. He paid the equivalent of P3,000 for the round-trip to the hospital. Angeles visited Boco for 30 minutes and was not able to talk to his doctors while the taxi waited. He also failed to talk to Boco’s trainer Jojo Cayson who is staying in a nearby hotel.

Carter said fighter Marvin Tampus will leave for Bangkok on May 19 and stay with Boco until he is ready to return home. Boco is likely to remain in the hospital for two to four more weeks.

Dr. Cruz said Angeles reported that Boco couldn’t talk but could move his head to follow light. Boco stirred when Angeles spoke at his bedside and raised his thumb to acknowledge the GAB official’s presence.

Carter said a day after the fight, he was assured that surgery wasn’t necessary and Boco would be released from the hospital in a week. So he was shocked when he was later informed that Boco had undergone two operations.

So far, Boco’s hospital bills are up to $2,000. Carter estimated the bill to reach $6,000. Carter said because the fight was held in Cambodia and no insurance was provided, Thai officials refuse to pay for all the expenses. He said Narong initially asked Carter to foot 25 percent of the bill but as the amount increased, proposed a 50-50 arrangement. The insurance complication stemmed from the fact that the fight was held in Cambodia, not Thailand.

"I was advised not to pay a cent but I don’t think it’s wise to antagonize anyone," said Carter. "Maybe, I could appeal for support from some Thai sponsors. Maybe, I could get an assurance that if I pay some amount, I could get it back through fight contracts for my fighters."

Carter said he was told by Narong that Boco is now eating on his own and able to raise both hands.

But Boco is not out of danger yet. The fact that Thai doctors are keeping him under observation in the hospital for at least two more weeks is an indication.

Carter, 56, is a Vietnam War veteran from North Carolina. He has lived in Cebu since 1995 and is married to Lorna Brazil of Cabanatuan. Carter operates a boxing gym in Liloan and manages several fighters, including Noel Tunacao, Rodel Mayol, and Boco.

What’s certain is Boco will never fight again. He saw action in only six fights—winning five and drawing one—before engaging Pornsawan in the final bout of his short-lived career.