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Reluctantly it must be said from
the start, that, despite several
hours of research, there are a
lot of unclarity and
uncertainties about the
professional career of former
two-time WBF World Welterweight
Champion Suwito Lagola
from Indonesia.
However, despite the lack of
proper record-keeping in years
gone by, it seems to be clear
that in 1995 he was only the
third Indonesian boxer to win a
professional world championship,
following Ellyas Pical (IBF
Super Flyweight, 1985-1989) and
Nico Thomas (IBF Minimumweight,
1989).
A street-fighter as a kid,
Lagola turned to boxing as a
teenager when he joined a club
in Binjai, and it also appears a
fact that he had a decent
amateur career before turning
professional, winning the North
Sumatra regional championships
in 1986.
But while some reports claim he
switched to the pro ranks in
1990, just four years after
first entering a boxing gym,
others say that he only had four
paid bouts and that the first of
those was his WBF world
title-challenge against William
Magahin in October of 1995.
Most likely he did have pro
fights before challenging
Southpaw Filipino Magahin
(18-5-1) on October 21, 1995 in
Medan, the capital of
Indonesia´s North Sumatra
Province. It seems unlikely that
he, as a debutant, would be
approved to challenge a good
champion making his second
title-defense.
In any case, Lagola fought a
near perfect fight against
Magahin, who had taken the title
from Australian
Jeff Malcolm with a clear
unanimous decision seven months
earlier, and squeezed a
successful defense against
American Erwin Villaver in
between.
Nicknamed “The Black Mamba”,
Magahin was a very accomplished
and experienced operator with
nine championship fights on his
resume, but in front of his
fellow countrymen Lagola fought
as a man possessed and
eventually stopped Maghin in the
tenth round to become WBF world
Welterweight champion.
What followed this great
accomplishment is also something
of a puzzle. Lagola was
reportedly stripped of the title
when failing to make a mandatory
defense, and Magahin was
reappointed champion. Magahin
then lost the title to Jaime
Lerma, from Texas, USA, in
January 1996 in Manilla.
It was then decided that Lagola
would be allowed a chance to
reclaim his old crown against
Lerma (21-2), and after some
back and forth negotiations the
fight was made for October 1,
1996 in Jakarta, with local
backers providing enough money
to persuade Lerma to come to
Indonesia.
With large throngs of exited
fans cheering him on, Lagola
dethroned Lerma by decision
after twelve rounds, and showed
that, no matter what the actual
story was concerning his
professional experience, he was
a true champion and world class
fighter.
Six months later he entered the
ring as defending world champion
for the first time, at the Graha
Purna Yudha Veterans Building in
Jakarta, and again the opponent
came from America in the form of
gritty challenger Leroy Owens
(14-14-3) from California.
While Owens record was barely
mediocre after starting his
career as a journeyman, he had
put together five straight
victories to earn his shot at
Lagola on April 17, 1997. And,
with high ranking special guests
from Indonesian government and
military at ringside, the lanky
American proved a stern
challenge.
Lagola appeared tight and
nervous at times, but eventually
found his rhythm and outworked
Owens, who had superior reach
and tried to keep the fight at a
distance. In the fourth round
Owens was administered a
standing eight count after a
left hook from Lagola wobbled
him, but he managed to weather
the storm and last the distance.
It was not the best of
performances from Lagola, but
there was no doubt that he
deserved the victory. Judges Ces
Perkins from Australia, Winay
Poporn from Thailand and Jafar
Umar from Indonesia scored the
bout 118-111, 118-110 and
117-110 respectively in his
favor.
His fame growing, Logola looked
to be heading for a bright
future. All sorts of prominent
people had pledged their support
to him, from promoters to
government officials, and few,
if anybody, had imagined that
his second title defense would
be his last.
He didn’t lose the WBF world
title, as he managed to hold on
to it with an uninspired draw
against Australian underdog
Danny “Boy” Pierece (10-6) in
December of 1997 in Jakarta, but
it would in fact be his last
fight. Disgruntled with broken
promises, he decided to retire
as world champion and in his
prime.
Heartbroken because he felt he
was being used as a
money-spinner by promoters and
Indonesian leaders, Lagola moved
to the countryside of Langkat
and established himself as a
rubber farmer, living peacefully
with his wife and three
children.
It is claimed that he felt so
betrayed by boxing that he
burned all medals, certificates
and trophy’s he won during his
career, but he hasn’t distanced
himself completely from the
sport. He trains young men in
his spare-time, including his
son Aa, whom he hopes will
follow in his footsteps as a
world champion.
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