Recommended
Following his passing at age 58, the boxing career of Jorge Kahwagi has once again generated interest. The politician and television personality took part in 11 fights between 2001 and 2005, all won by knockout or technical knockout, although some of his bouts were questioned by the press and fans.
However, one of his most controversial fights came in 2015, when he faced Ramón Olivas in the Philippines. What happened in this bout and why did it generate so much criticism? Here we tell you.
- LEE MÁS: Jorge Kahwagi negó cirugías, pero su rostro cambió: el misterio que nunca aclaró
- LEE MÁS: Jorge Kahwagi, una vida entre el ring, el Congreso y Big Brother: así fue su historia
What was Jorge Kahwagi's controversial 40-second fight like?
After a 10-year absence, Jorge Kahwagi returned to boxing to face his compatriot Ramón Olivas. The bout took place on July 11, 2015, at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City, Philippines, and lasted just 40 seconds.
Kahwagi took the victory by technical knockout, marking his 12th win as a professional boxer.
The bout generated diverse comments among media and fans, who pointed out that the fight looked like a "show" rather than a professional match.
Years later, The New York Times revisited the controversial bout in the article “A Mexican Politician and Celebrity Fighting With Muscle Implants? Only in Boxing,” which described the clash between Kahwagi and Olivas as “one of the most infamous fiascos in recent boxing history.”
The US media outlet questioned the performance of both boxers, as well as the outcome of the fight, and revisited the criticisms regarding Kahwagi's physical appearance.
The article also includes the testimony of Rico Navarro, the ring announcer during the fight between Kahwagi and Olivas.
“It was one of the strangest things I have ever experienced,” Navarro stated.
As he recounted, Kahwagi's physical appearance was one of the first things he noticed, as he claimed he didn't look like a boxer, but rather a bodybuilder. He even came to think that he was using steroids. He also asserted that it was the first time he had announced a fight whose authenticity he doubted.
For his part, Ed Tolentino, the sports journalist who narrated the encounter, described the fight as “awkward” and questioned the force of Kahwagi's punches.
“Kahwagi scored the first knockdown with a left hand that, in my opinion, wouldn't have even broken an egg,” Tolentino said.
In the video of the fight, which can be found on YouTube and other platforms, one can observe that Kahwagi moves slowly, and that his biceps and pectorals move in a strange way. Hence why there were questions regarding whether he was using body implants. Meanwhile, his opponent, Olivas, seems to let himself be hit on purpose.
Why were Jorge Kahwagi's victories questioned?
Kahwagi's victories were not only questioned because of his performance in the ring, but also because of the caliber of some of his opponents.
Furthermore, four of his opponents, Americans Perry Williams, Richard Wilson, Dwayne Swift, and Buck Smith, were investigated by the FBI over suspicions that they had been paid to take a dive.
[Publicidad]