Aside from basketball, Filipinos have become such huge fans of boxing. Credit goes to, of course, our eight-time world champion. (I don’t even need to mention the name).
When Pacquiao became a global sports icon, a lot of aspiring boxers have tried their lucks as well, with the hope that they could get the same, or close to the same prestige (and riches) that Pacman got for himself and for the country (and the promoters, TV networks that covered, and those that make pusta whenever there are fights).
But it is not all glory for the Filipino fighter. Recently, Filipino fighter Johnriel Casimero, albeit winning in the IBF junior flyweight championship bout, has become a hot item because of the attack incident that he has faced during the fight.
Casimero, along with his team were thrown debris like plastic bottles and chairs, kicked, beaten, assaulted by raging fans of Argentine boxer Luis Alberto Lazarte when the former knocked out the latter in the 10th-round of the fight.
The Philippine embassy, as a result filed a protest on the unlikely incident to the Argentina's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Lazarte, humiliated that he is, humbly apologised to the Filipino fighter.
Meanwhile, the government is persistent to demand concrete investigation on the matter, claiming that the attack did not only offend the fighter but the entire Filipino race, in general which Casimero represents. The referee who had officiated the fight is also in hot water as he was unable to control the uproar of the crowd.
If the fight would have been held in the Philippines, should something as such take place?
Granting that Casimero lost the fight, would he be treated the way he was?
Could the misfortune be the price for his triumph?
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