Lazarte, promoter apologize to Pinoys

MANILA, Philippines - Newly crowned IBF lightflyweight champion Johnriel Casimero, business manager Sammy Gello-ani and trainer Christopher Tepura survived a riot after hometown fans went berserk in the wake of local hero Luis Lazarte’s knockout loss at Club Once Unidoes, Mar del Plata, Argentina last Friday night.

New York referee Eddie Claudio stopped the fight early in the 10th round with Lazarte defenseless and Casimero raining hard blows to the head. Lazarte was down twice in the previous round and once in the 10th. Before the ring announcer stepped onto the ring to call the official time, debris flew in from irate fans who couldn’t accept Lazarte’s defeat. Water bottles, chairs and hard objects were thrown at the Filipinos by suspected members of Lazarte’s truckers union. One fan entered the ring wearing a green vest with the words “Camioneros-Peronista” and attacked Gello-ani with punches to the head. All hell broke loose as security guards were outnumbered by fans who vented their ire on Casimero, Claudio, Gello-ani and Tepura. Even Casimero’s American cornerman Sean Gibbons of Top Rank Promotions wasn’t spared from the physical abuse.

Security guards hid Casimero under the ring for 30 minutes while fans were led out of the arena. Gello-ani said he took a few hits on the head but was unhurt. Claudio was treated in a hospital for a busted mouth.

Argentinian promoter Osvaldo Rivero and Lazarte himself went to Casimero’s dressing room after the fight to apologize. Argentinian TV commentators who covered the bout said the display of poor sportsmanship was an embarrassment. The commentators gave Casimero six rounds, Lazarte two and a round even before the 10th.

Lazarte, 40, tried to bully his way through Casimero’s defense from the start. He bit the Filipino’s shoulder twice, butted, elbowed, threw rabbit punches and held his head down while belting out sucker blows. A point was deducted from Lazarte’s scorecard in the sixth for repeated butting. Claudio also deducted a point from Casimero in the eighth for hitting behind the head.

Casimero, who turns 22 today, floored Lazarte twice with power rights in the ninth. The Argentinian was saved by the bell and walked back to his corner on wobbly legs. In the 10th, he came out shaky and Casimero quickly decked him with a flurry. Lazarte got up but was pinned against the ropes when his cornerman Fernando Sosa threw in the towel, prompting Claudio to wave it off. With a porous defense, Lazarte was a sitting duck for Casimero’s bolo punch – a half uppercut-hook unleashed from the waist. It was the first Filipino win in four world title fights in Argentina since Pascual Perez retained his flyweight crown via a decision over Leo Espinosa in Buenos Aires in 1956.

“We’ll fight in Argentina again but never in Mar del Plata,” said Gello-ani in an overseas phone call from Buenos Aires. “We were escorted by guards out of the arena and back to our hotel (The Primacy). Luckily, we survived. When I was attacked, I could’ve fought back but thought it would create a more heated situation. My main concern was to protect Casimero. We brought him to the middle of the ring so nobody could pull him down from the apron. Then, the security took over and hid him under the ring. It reminded me of the riot in Cebu when the fight between Dodie Boy Peñalosa and Julius Tarona was declared a no-contest in 1995 but that was worse because someone fired a gun in the coliseum. In Mar del Plata, I found a magazine for a .45 caliber pistol on the floor at the height of the riot and turned it over to the police. Fortunately, no shots were fired.”

Gello-ani reiterated that the fight was for the vacant IBF 108-pound title, not the interim version. “It was announced that the fight was for the interim title but they were wrong,” said Gello-ani. “The original plan was for the interim title but the champion (Ulises Solis) won’t be available until July or August so the IBF declared it a championship fight. The IBF supervisor (Anibal Miramontes) and Sean (Gibbons) confirmed it.”

Casimero scaled 106 3/4 for the fight while Lazarte tipped in at 107 1/2. The win improved Casimero’s record to 16-2, with 10 KOs. He was only six years old when Lazarte turned pro in 1996. Lazarte won the IBF title two years ago and lost it in his third defense to Solis.  Known for his dirty tricks, the Argentinian was disqualified in two previous attempts to win a world title in 2002 and 2007.