THE LONG WAIT FOR 2ND CHANCE IS OVER; DAPUDONG-BUTHELEZI REMATCH SET JUNE 15

The long wait for the opportunity to avenge his controversial loss to South Africa’s Gideon Buthelezi is over for North Cotabato boxer Edrin Dapudong.

The Golden Gloves Promotions, following a rematch order issued by the International Boxing Organization, has announced that the rematch between Buthelezi, a former Olympian from South Africa, and Dapudong, one of the poor boys discovered under the grassroots boxing program of North Cotabato when I was Governor, has been set for June 15 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The announcement of the definite date for the rematch ended Dapudong’s eagerly awaited opportunity for a second chance to meet the South African who was badly battered in their first fight on Nov. 10 in Johannesburg but who came out with a split decision victory.

Following a protest I filed, an immediate rematch “without any intervening fight” between newly declared International Boxing Organization (IBO) champion Gideon Buthelezi of South Africa and Filipino Edrin “The Sting” Dapudong was ordered by IBO President Edward S. Levine.

Levine issued the order following the review of the Nov. 10 fight held in Johannesburg, South Africa in which Buthelezi, badly battered and knocked down in the 9th round, was awarded the IBO World Championship by split decision.

Buthelezi’s controversial victory, anchored on the scoring of American judge Michael Pernick who saw it 115-113 and South African judge Tony Nyangiwe’s 115-112, was immediately protested because I was at ringside.

Even the South Africa media, usually sympathetic to local athletes, were scathing in their commentaries on the fight describing Buthelezi as “badly battered but lucky with the judges.”

The third judge, Briton Reg Thompson, scored the fight 114-113 in favor of Dapudong who chased Buthelezi all over the ring for the whole of 12 rounds, bloodied him as early as the first three rounds and knocked him down in the 9th round for a mandatory knockdown.

While the two other judges scored the knockdown 10-8 in favor of Dapudong, American judge Pernick, who boasted that he had judged over 60 world championship fights, had it 10-9 and gave several more rounds obviously won by Dapudong to the South African fighter.

“What was very evident from a review of the judges score cards is that this was an extremely closely contested fight between two worthy opponents and that the performance of Dapudong deserves a rematch,” Levine said in his letter ordering the rematch, copies of which were sent to Filipino journalist Ronnie Nathanielsz, who raised the issue with Levine in a separate letter.

“Accordingly, the IBO has agreed to sanction a direct rematch in which Gideon Buthelezi defends the IBO World Jr. Bantamweight title against Edrin Dapudong with no intervening fights,” Levine said in the order.

Dapudong is currently training in Angono, Rizal under the tutelage of veteran trainer Aljo Jaro.