By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Following serious questions asked of Golden Gloves promoter Rodney Berman’s announced plan to have newly crowned IBO junior bantamweight champion Edrin “The Sting” Dapudong defend his title against minimumweight Nkosinathi Joyi who lost a close fight on the same card where Dapudong destroyed  South African champion Gideon Buthelezi, Berman’s has decided to call off the planned title fight.

In a story on his Golden Gloves website, Berman said he had decided “to put the brakes on the title fight just days after saying it would go ahead.”

Explaining the turnaround, Berman, who has three options on Dapudong which was confirmed by the Filipino’s manager and longtime benefactor, former North Cotabato governor Manny Pilol, Berman said the weight disparity was “too significant even for a fighter of Joyi’s caliber” which is what we had pointed out.

Instead, the South African promoter revealed that Joyi will fight for the IBO vacant junior flyweight title against a top-rated boxer at Emperors Palace on August 31.

Berman said “we want to re-establish Nkosinathi especially as he remains an elite fighter.”

One of the conditions stipulated by the promoter is that should Joyi win he will not vacate the IBO title because of the organization’s loyalty to South African boxers.

Meantime, Vice President Jejomar Binay has praised Dapudong for his spectacular first round knockout victory pointing out that “it is not easy to win in a foreign land.”

Dapudong accompanied by his manager and ALA Promotions vice president Denis Canete since the outfit promotes Dapudong paid a courtesy call on the vice president at his office in the Coconut Palace at the CCP Complex this afternoon.

After viewing the first round demolition of Butheliz, the vice president expressed admiration for Dapudong’s courage and power.

When Pinol briefed the vice president that the newly crowned world champion was the product of a grassroots boxing program started by the local government of North Cotabato, Binay said other local government units should be encouraged to focus on grassroots sports development  to produce more world champions.

Others who joined in the call on Vice President Binay was sports columnist Quinito Henson, Ring Magazine correspondent Ryan Songalia, Chino Trinidad of GMA 7 sports and assistant trainers Rex Penalosa and Gilbert Angcog.