A classless clash over social media has exploded between the camps of Filipino world bantamweight champions Nonito Donaire and John Riel Casimero. Instead of seeing the fight happen on top of the ring, we saw them on YouTube, Twitter, or Facebook.
In the past, John Riel Casimero said Naoya Inoue must change his moniker from “Monster” to “Turtle,” and recently, he called Nonito Donaire a “Stinky Fish.” Casimero calls Inoue “Turtle” because, according to him, the undefeated “Monster” is eluding him like a turtle and afraid to face him.
Why “Stinky Fish?” Well, this is an allusion to Jose Rizal’s famous line, "Ang hindi magmahal sa sariling wika,
daig pa ang hayop at malansang isda."
(My translation: He who does not love his language is worse than an
animal and a stinky fish.) A line from the poem Sa Aking Mga Kababata taught in schools in the Philippines is a
piece written by our national hero when he was just eight years old. Casimero is
trying to impress the public that he is more nationalistic than Donaire to get
the attention of many. At first, the
Angas ng Pilipinas sounded like merely selling or hyping the fight. There
is nothing wrong with that, but it became wayward only when the Casimero camp insinuated
that Donaire, an expat who speaks fluent English, is not a true Filipino.
Casimero is so used to taunting. He is not new to such theatrics. In November 2020, he provoked Jerwin Ancajas, the Filipino IBF junior-bantamweight champ, by referring to Ancajas as a “child.” Gentleman as he is, Ancajas just shrugged it off by way of a respectful and calm response.
It was all Casimero show until Rachel Marcial, the Filipino Flash’s wife and manager who was a former national collegiate and military Taekwondo champion in the US herself mentioned the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA). I will not repeat what transpired here, for you probably followed them in social media as they unfold. I will not expose and expound those nasty posts of blatant ad hominem and gender-biased statements. Why are such dirty exchanges when the fight itself, being the first-ever Filipino champ versus Filipino champ, is in itself would already make a lot of money?
The great Filipino boxers from Pancho Villa to Gabriel “Flash” Elorde to Manny Pacquiao never been into trash talking and arrogance. Even the so-called “Bad Boy from Dadiangas,” Rolando Navarrete, never trash-talked his opponent ever. He never called them names.
Moreover, the World Boxing Council (WBC) Code of Ethics has this to say: “All boxers, especially those who are champions, are role models and must behave with exemplary actions.” It further states that “All boxers must understand that there is an expectation that their behavior, inside and outside the ring will be held to high standards in accordance with the honor and privilege associated with representing the World Boxing Council as a champion.” I believe it rings true in other boxing bodies. Boxers say the nastiest words in the dictionary to sell his fight, but it should also be within the boundaries of ethics. Even in boxing’s business side, hitting below the belt is not allowed. All businesses follow ethical standards. Boxing as an enterprise and as a sport is not as savage as that.
To maintain our cherished Filipino values and respect our heritage in a foreign land, forego the Donaire-Casimero fight and move on with their next non-Filipino opponents.
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