FORMAL COMPLAINT TO BE FILED AGAINST AMERICAN JUDGE IN THE CONTROVERSIAL DAPUDONG-BUTHELEZI TITLE FIGHT

Just arrived in the Philippines and I have already talked to Comm. Friz Gaston of the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) and boxing promoter Gabriel “Bebot” Elorde, Jr.

I have advised them that I will file a formal complaint against American judge Michael Pernick who is from Miami, Florida who gave the controversial score of 115 Buthelezi and 113 Dapudong.

Why is the complaint against the American judge alone?

Well, it is already accepted that the South African judge would be biased in favor of Buthelezi.

What made Pernick’s scoring more anomalous and irregular is the fact that he scored the 9th round, where Dapudong knocked down Buthelezi and was on the verge of knocking him out, 10-9, instead of 10-8.

Aside from that he gave the 2nd of the first three rounds, when Dapudong was mauling Buthelezi all over the ring, 10-9 in his favor.

Had he scored the two rounds correctly, Dapudong would have had the score of 114 to Buthelezi’s 113 which would have resulted in the North Cotabato fighter’s victory by split decision.

The formal complaint will be addressed to Ed Levine, President of the International Boxing Organization (IBO) whom I met in Singapore in May.

I will raise three points:

I will ask for a review of the videotape of the fight by a board of boxing judges licensed by the IBO.
I will ask for sanctions to be imposed against Judge Michael Pernick. (I confronted him the following morning and we had a heated exchange. I will post the details of that verbal exchange and his stupid explanation later.)
I will ask IBO to order an immediate rematch and the fight should be held in the Philippines or in Singapore with all judges and the referee coming from neutral countries.

Comm. Gaston (you are right, the former Crispa Redmanizer star player) has promised he will help along with Chairman Guanzon to get justice for Dapudong.

(Photo caption: This photo taken in Singapore in May 2012 shows Comm. Gaston with me and my family, minus our daughter Dr. Maria Krista who at this time was reviewing for the medical board.)