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MANILA, Philippines – Once comatose and battling death in Japan, Renerio Arizala is now fit and coming home.
The Filipino boxer, who underwent two brain operations after being stopped by Japanese Tsuyoshi Tameka in the 6th round of their featherweight bout on March 31, will arrive in Manila Wednesday night, May 15.
Arizala collapsed and underwent surgery for 3 and a half hours to relieve pressure from the blood clot which formed due to the head blows he got from Tameka at Osanbashi Hall in Yokohama City.
In an amazing recovery, Arizala woke up Monday instead of the expected Wednesday and in no time at all was talking and walking with the aid of a walker.
The second operation, done 3 weeks later, put back the bone in Arizala’s skull chiseled off to insert a tube to drain the brain clot.
Among those who attended to Arizala at the Yokohama City Minato Red Cross Hospital were his trainer, Jonathan Penalosa, Japanese matchmaker Takashi Aoshami, who arranged the fight with Philippine counterpart Art Monis, Japanese boxing aficionado Kei Nidaira and Japan-based Filipinos.
Nidaira, a supporter of International Boxing Federation super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas, spent the most time with Arizala, even gifting the native of San Pascual, Masbate with sneakers and a sweater on his 25th birthday on April 12.
A video posted by Nidaira on May 6 showed Arizala, whose ring career ended abruptly at 13-9-3 (5 knockouts), walking by himself slowly.
According to reports, Arizala’s hospital bills reached $50,000 and were shouldered by the Japan Boxing Commission.
Officials from the Japan Professional Boxing Association will be accompanying Arizala to Manila.
To prevent a repetition of the incident, Abraham “Baham” Mitra, chairman of the Games and Amusements Board which supervises boxing in the Philippines, told Filipino sportswriters who covered Jerwin Ancajas’ seventh round technical knockout win over Japanese Ryuichi Funai in Stockton, California, on May 4, Saturday (May 5, Sunday, Philippine time) that he’s taking over the approval of boxers’ request to fight abroad.
“From now on, approval will come from me. I have to be the one to sign all authority to fight abroad,” said Mitra, who earlier promised to give Arizala a job at the GAB and get his welfare fund released.
“Ako ang mananagot dito (I will be answerable for this).”
Mitra added a team from GAB will meet Arizala and his escorts at the airport. – Rappler.com
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