Araña, Villanueva mix it up in tune-up match

MANILA, Philippines - Luisito “Boy” Cruz, the PBA chief of referees, was right there on the sideline and had a video account of the brawl that forced the stoppage of the Rain or Shine-NLEX tune-up match at the Meralco gym in Pasig yesterday.

The video should show if there were others who got involved in the fight besides main protagonists Rico Villanueva of NLEX and Ryan Araña of Rain or Shine.

“Boy saw at least three throwing kicks and punches. Then both benches rushed to the action. We’ll see in the video if they were there to help separate the protagonists or join the fracas,” said PBA operations chief Rickie Santos.

“Referee Emmanuel Tankion also got hurt as he’s in the middle of the action. It’s not clear what happened. He might be accidentally hit by one of the protagonists,” Santos also said.

After the incident, Cruz had a teleconference with PBA commissioner Chito Salud who’s in Incheon, Korea. Cruz was ordered to already splice up the video and have it ready for the commissioner’s review upon his return to Manila.

Salud is expected to throw the book on the erring players ahead of the opening of the milestone PBA Season 40 on Oct. 19.

Villanueva and Araña sustained bruises in their faces and bodies as they went after each other, trading punches then getting entangled in a virtual wrestling match on the floor after Villanueva gave a driving Araña a hard foul then the RoS wingman retaliated by throwing the ball to the NLEX forward.

Both teams left their benches and rushed to the hard court, but witnesses weren’t certain if any one had joined the fight.

“Everyone was on the floor, but probably they’re there just to help separate Rico and Ryan. It’s not clear to me as the players in front of me are so big, I didn’t see all the things that had happened,” NLEX team manager Ronald Dolatre told The STAR.

“It’s a fight that went all the way down the floor. Rico ended up bloodied as he was bit by Ryan, as Rico later told us,” Dolatre also said.

Rain or Shine was holding a 23-22 edge as the fight erupted at the start of the second quarter.

A PBA official called for the cancellation of the match even as the two teams were hoping the referees would just eject the erring players then let the game continue.

“It’s very unfortunate specially with the two teams engaged in a good, exciting match,” said Dolatre.

“Apparently, Rico was hit in an earlier play. With no call from the refs, he got back at Araña in the next play. And as Araña threw the ball at Rico, nagkagulo na,” Dolatre also said.

Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao talked to both Villanueva and Araña before the two players left the venue.

“We let coach Yeng talk to Rico since he used to be Rico’s coach. Mukhang pinagkamay nya yung dalawa,” said Dolatre.

Villanueva was under Guiao at Red Bull when he figured in a fight with another former La Salle player Joseph Yeo at the Araneta Coliseum parking lot a few years back.

It came on the heels of an on-court fight between the two players during a La Salle-Ateneo dream match also at the Big Dome.

Despite the incident, officials of Rain or Shine and NLEX were to continue to talk about a trade involving Kevin Alas.