NO one believed Michole 'Mike' Sorela was capable of the violence he inflicted on an unsuspecting Jonas Tibayan during the MPBL game between the GenSan Warriors and the Mindoro Tamaraws on Monday.
It was not clear what triggered Sorela, a 6-5 GenSan center, who suddenly swung at Tibayan. The result, however, was devastating. Tibayan suffered a concussion, a broken jaw, a busted lip, and a fractured shoulder after doctors examined him in the hospital.
According to players close to the MPBL veteran, Tibayan had harrassed Sorela all game, even hitting him twice, once in the face, the other in the stomach. This was after Sorela had warned Tibayan to just play and not resort to dirty tactics.
READ Sorela hit with MPBL lifetime ban, P200K penalty for Tibayan sucker punch
What surprised many from the incident was how Sorela reacted so violently when they knew him as unassuming, quiet, and even shy.
“Hindi ko ma-explain bakit niya ginawa yun,” coach Boyet Fernandez told SPIN.ph. “Baka may nag-trigger sa kanya, pero knowing him hindi siya ganoon.”
Longtime Red Lions team manager Jude Roque said: “Mabait yun at tahimik, mahiyain pa nga eh. Kaya I’m really surprised with what happened.”
Sorela sucker-punched an unsuspecting Tibayan midway through the third quarter of their game on Monday at Batangas City Sports Center. Game officials immediately ejected him from the game.
The MPBL acted swiftly, too. The league banned Sorela for life although it did not disclose what caused him to punch Tibayan. Sorela was also slapped a record fine of P200,000.
His former coaches at San Beda couldn't reconcile the Sorela that they know and the Sorela that made headlines with that sucker punch on Tibayan.
“He’s a very physical player sa court, very athletic player and kita naman yun sa games because he knows that the NCAA is a physical league. Even sa practices, he plays hard pero never siya na ganoon,” said Fernandez.
Sorela, a native of Valencia, Bukidnon, was a three-time NCAA champion and last played for San Beda in NCAA Season 91 back in 2015.
In the NCAA, he always stood his ground when faced with the rough nature of the league. In one instance, he was handed a one-game suspension for punching Kevin Oliveria during a game against Perpetual, which probably was the most serious blemish in his college career.
READ: NCAA suspends San Beda's Sorela for punch
Sorela, because of his size and physical game, was a major component of San Beda's rotation and when he graduated, he got drafted in the third round, at 31st overall, by TNT, in the 2015 PBA Draft.
Unfortunately, his PBA career did not flourish. He joined the MPBL where he had stints with Navotas Clutch, Basilan Steel, and Davao Occidental Tigers, as well as with Master Sardines in the PBA 3x3 tournament.
Fernandez, who now coaches Binan Tatak Gel, shared that he hasn't talked yet with Sorela but is hopeful that his coaches in Gensan could protect the player in the fallout of the incident.
“Hindi ko talaga maisip kung bakit, pero sana his coaches can shed more light and provide help kay Michole,” he said.
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