What a chump: the Jorge Kahwagi story.

In sharp contrast to the legitimacy of Erik "Terrible" Morales, businessman and legislator Jorge Kahwagi won another championship bout in early January, a victory that prompted boos of "fraude" from his countrymen as his opponent--who could have passed for the Pillsbury doughboy--was being carried out of the ring on a stretcher.

The extra precaution seemed unnecessary considering that replays showed Kahwagi--a successful capitalist and the Chamber of Deputies leader of the Green Party--did not land the punch that sent the overstuffed Oklahoman crumpling to the canvas as if he had just been pole-axed.

The scene was reminiscent of Kahwagi's last trip to the ring--Plaza Mexico early last year in which he floored a large Russian with a mild body shot in the first round. Boos and projectiles rained down from the cheap seats, while the ringside friends of the fighter applauded, blissfully floating in an alternative reality where their wealthy compadre is the cruiserweight champion of Latin America and the Corona ring girls like them for whom they are on the inside.

Fight fans demanded their money back after that farce, but Kahwagi was redeemed this time in that his match was not the feature bout. A genuine champion--Jorge Arce at flyweight--delivered a professionally devastating performance in the main event, while Kahwagi dodged reporters' questions in the dressing room.

For those readers who may have missed it, the scene at Centro Banamex in Mexico City went like this. Kahwagi enters ring to mariachi music. A journeyman Oklahoman, Dwayne Swift, who has not fought in three years and had lost his previous 11 fights, came in with an American flag waving proudly. This tactic brought Kahwagi a wave of support from the largely intoxicated Mexican crowd, and his posse--which included Green Party President Jorge Emilio Gonzalez and the son of former President Zedillo--pumped their fists in the ring as introductions were made. But then Kahwagi was alone. Alone in the ring and facing an opponent, albeit an obese one. And that is when the troubled started.

Kahwagi was floored twice in the first round by light jabs from his opponent, punches that sportswriters at the event agreed were not significant enough to floor any professional fighter. To his credit, Kahwagi jumped up immediately following both knockdowns, complaining and literally stomping his feet like a spoiled child, apparently upset with the knockdown rule. Perhaps in the future, his handlers can have some pre-fight contact with the referee as opposed to just his opponent.

Which brings us to Round Two. It is only speculation, but rumors spread throughout the arena that Swift was reminded in between rounds of his part to play in this pugilistic drama, and he promptly hit the canvas early in the round, a victim of Kahwagi's devastating phantom right hand.

Following the fight, Kahwagi claimed the obscene chants were the handiwork of "political rivals," while members of the Mexican fight game--most notably the head of the World Boxing Council, the venerable Jose Sulaiman Chagnon--urged the lawmaker to retire.

--M.B.