A columnist in her own country is trying to put the
kybosh on Dahiana Santana's hopes of a rematch with WBC super
flyweight champion Ana Maria Torres of Mexico. Smarting from her
defeat in their first fight, which sold out the
Coliseo Carlos '"Teo" Cruz
in her home town of Santo Domingo last month and was witnessed by
over 7,500 people, Santana had told journalists: "She may have won
here, but we'll meet again. I know I can beat her next time." In the
view of Carlos Nina Gómez, who writes in this morning's edition of
Hoy Digital, the poor child's dreaming, and if someone
doesn't talk some sense into her, she's going to get hurt.
"Dahiana is still a girl – a youth; she's ambitious (which is good)
and she's disciplined. She has plenty of time to improve and succeed
in this tough sport. What she needs to do now is return to the
gymnasium, keep working, follow the instructions of her trainers,
and understand that there's no such thing in this world as
'overnight success'.
"The night of the 17th April, she was badly beaten up by
the champion from Mexico; Ana Maria Torres is a battle-hardened
fighter who spars with men – and not just any men but world
champions like Edgar Sosa and Johnny González.
"I am certain – and I say this as an objective journalist and not to
belittle Dahiana – that if they do fight again (and heaven
forfend that it be in Mexico!) our humble fighter is going to get
massacred; and if that happens, there will be plenty of culprits."
Whether he's really saying this for her protection or
simply to rub salt into her wounds is anyone's guess. Santana isn't
a child. She's 20; and she has a three-year old daughter. She's also
studying industrial psychology at the
Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo
(UASD), though you can
be intelligent, I suppose, and still reckless as to your own safety
– especially when you have a child to support. All the same, the
economic situation in the Dominican Republic is improving rapidly
(according to the World Economic Forum) and too much is in any case
made of this idea of 'hungry' fighters struggling to escape from
'grinding' poverty. Furthermore, the question of whether or not she
should accept a rematch is somewhat academic unless there's the
likelihood of her being offered one.
Santana's belief that there is would appear to be based on nothing
more than an off-the-cuff remark made by Torres at the press
conference before the fight. When asked if it was true that the
contract stipulated for a return in Mexico in the event of the
challenger winning, Torres replied: "Yes, but I'll give her a
rematch, if she wants one, even if I win." Under Common Law, that
promise wouldn't be considered binding because there was no
consideration (i.e. she got nothing in return for it) and I don't
suppose the Civil Law that obtains in Mexico and the Dominican
Republic is any different in this respect.
Dismissing statements that "there will be a second fight in Mexico
because that's what it says in the contract signed by both fighters"
as "lies" ("no such contract was ever shown to the press"), Gómez
concludes: "To discover the whole truth, we would have to consult
the WBC, which has its offices in the Federal District of Mexico"
(not far, in other words, from Torres's home) "and request an
official statement. But I say again, because I think it's important:
to draw up a contract for Dahiana Santana to fight Ana Maria
Torres now in Mexico would be like dispatching her to a human
slaughterhouse."
It's lucky Oscar de la Hoya isn't Dominican. He'd be cowering in the
Swiss Consulate (or that of the Vatican, if it has one in Las Vegas)
after a pep talk like that!
Incidentally, although I removed it because of the mixed metaphor,
in the sentence quoted he actually applies to the petite Mexican the
attribute 'executioner'; which, I think he means as a
compliment.
(I think).
[Source: ˇUna revancha imposible! ("A return is unthinkable")
by Carlos Nina Gómez (Hoy Digital; 3rd May)]
Photos:
Santana in the gym
Back to back: Santana (l.) and Torres
Torres on the way to an easy (98-92,
98-92, 97-93) victory over Santana last month
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