Foul play in ring death?

Lito Sisnorio’s older brother Jerry said yesterday the family just wants the fighter’s body back in Koronadal and isn’t thinking of going to court at the moment.

"The last time I saw Lito was during the CRAA (Cotabato Regional Athletic Association) opening in Saranggani province last Dec. 27," said Jerry in Pilipino. "Lito was the guest at the opening. He told me he was leaving for Bangkok and would be back the first week of April at the latest."

Jerry, 34, said he had no inkling it would be their final meeting but recalled pleading for him to be careful because "boxing is a dangerous sport and controlled by the ‘syndicate’ abroad."

Jerry didn’t rule out foul play in the tragedy. "It’s hard to accept his death," he said. "It was a mismatch. It was an illegal fight because Lito was unlicensed by the GAB. It was wrong."

Sisnorio, 24, was knocked out by former world flyweight champion Chatchai Sasakul in Samutprakarn last Friday. He died the next day of a brain hemorrhage.

Jerry said his brother looked after their parents who live in a distant farm house off Koronadal. When Sisnorio earned a purse of $3,000 for defending his WBC Youth flyweight title in Thailand last October, he gave P4,500 to his parents.

"Lito complained that he could never save enough because so many people got cuts from his purse," said Jerry.

Sisnorio was paid $1,000 for winning the WBC Youth crown on a fifth round stoppage of Fahpetchnoi Sor Chipattana in Bangkok last May. He received P10,000 in a losing effort against Philip Parcon in Tulunan, North Cotabato, last November. It was estimated he took home less than half of the purses after deductions. Sisnorio moved to Kidapawan when he joined former manager Jemuel Contayoso’s stable four years ago. One of nine children, Sisnorio dreamed of becoming a policeman but because his father Angelito, Sr. is jobless and mother Consuelo only stays home, he was forced to turn to boxing as a means of livelihood. Contayoso, 40, once managed as many as 14 fighters. He became involved in amateur boxing in 1988 and turned to pros in 1997. The former ABAP Cotabato president’s stable now consists of eight pros and four amateurs.

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North Cotabato Gov. Manny Piñol’s brother Soc, a fight promoter, has dared Sasakul to face a Filipino opponent who has a chance to beat him.

"I want to avenge Lito’s defeat," said Soc. "If Sasakul is man enough, I’m challenging him to come to the Philippines and meet our boy Jundy Maraon. Then, we’ll see how he stands up to a Filipino in a fair fight."

Maraon of Zamboanga del Sur has a 9-0-1 record, with 7 KOs. Last January, the prospect nicknamed "Pretty Boy" knocked out Thai Saensak Singmanassak in one round in Midsayap, North Cotabato.

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GAB boxing chief Dr. Nasser Cruz said there should be a law providing a jail sentence for illegal practice of professional boxing activities without a license.

"We’ve told Thai authorities time and again not to allow Filipinos to fight in Thailand without GAB clearance but the mismatches continue because of unscrupulous promoters," he said. "Even Scott Mallon (a Thai-based sportswriter) complained to me that it’s not exciting to watch fights in Thailand anymore because of rampant mismatches. Chairman (Eric) Buhain wants us to press the Thai authorities to cooperate with us and until they do, there is an indefinite suspension of Filipinos fighting in Thailand."

Cruz said Sisnorio would’ve been required to undergo a CT-Scan for a permit to fight abroad. He wouldn’t have been allowed to fight Sasakul because he had lost his last four bouts, including unsanctioned outings in Thailand and Korea.