In Huddle
Powerade gone after current season?
By Beth CelisPhilippine Daily Inquirer
If that boxing fanatic neighbor of mine named Margie had not reminded me, I would never have remembered that boxer Karlo Maquinto was in the undercard in the bloody, sensational Brian Viloria-Giovanni Segura fight last Dec. 11 billed “Island Assault.”
To prove her statement Margie, who had tagged along during the weigh-in at the Midas Hotel the day before the fight, showed me a photo she had taken of the young, diminutive boxer from Iloilo posing with his opponent Argie Toquero.
She was unable to provide additional details regarding the outcome of the fight though, because she did not watch the actual event.
I just concluded that Karlo won because he was undefeated (4-0-0) going into the tiff with Joseph Costa which ended in a majority draw last Saturday and ultimately led to his untimely death.
“Karlo lost the first two rounds of that fight with Toquero and was also wobbled in the second round, but he got back in the third round, eventually winning by TKO in the 5th round,” Dana Errazo of Solar Entertainment replayed the scenario to me in text form. Solar organized and telecast the Island Assault which was staged at the Ynares Sports Center.
The 21-year-old Karlo, who had a bright boxing future ahead of him, never regained consciousness after he collapsed shortly after his eight-round bout with Costa in a fight card marking the 50th founding anniversary celebration of Caloocan City the other Saturday.
He was rushed to the FEU hospital in Quezon City where he eventually succumbed last Friday.
Before Maquinto, the last Filipino boxer to die in the ring was Lito Sisnorio, who was knocked out by former world champ Chatsai Sasakul of Thailand.
In the last 20 years, the series of ring deaths among Filipino boxers include Andy Balaba, Macky Silvano, Roger Espinelli, Eugene Barutag, Mateo Barring, Eman Juarez, Ferdie Gimay and Maruel Zayas.
* * *
If Powerade governor JB Baylon had the power or option to retain the Coca-Cola franchise in the PBA, what do you think would he do?
This is a no-brainer. JB will keep the franchise. Perhaps that was what he was praying for, more than anything else, when he went walking on his knees a couple of times at the Redemptorist Church in Baclaran some weeks ago.
Who’d want to dissolve a team like Powerade when after years of wallowing in the cellar, it is on the way back to greatness.
And why would JB want Powerade to close shop on the eve of his term as PBA chair? Does that sound logical?
I have been mulling for days about this puzzling situation at Powerade, hoping that answers would voluntarily stream into my consciousness.
That’s when this little birdie flew by my window to offer enlightenment.
* * *
“Of course JB wants to keep both team and franchise, if he can help it. In fact he’s feeling very bad because he wasn’t even consulted on the big move made by his boss. He’s feeling very bad he’s considering giving up his executive post at Coke,” the little birdie told me.
“You see, JB’s big boss does not believe that a product like Coke should have a team in the PBA so he sold the franchise for Pl00 million. Yes, it’s been sold. Fait accompli as they would say in French, if I’m not mistaken. This franchise may still carry the Powerade brand and team till the end of the season, but I don’t know about next October. JB has been offered by another team to be its governor, but I don’t know if he’ll accept. Who bought the Coke franchise? I’m not at liberty to tell, although Jean Henri Lhuillier is expected to make a frequent appearance at the PBA games starting next season. This isn’t to say that he bought the Coke franchise. You figure that one out.”
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Tags: Basketball , Boxing , Brian Viloria , Giovanni Segura , JB Baylon , Karlo Maquinto , PBA , Powerade Tigers , Sports
