ALBERT PAGARA: ?I'LL BE BACK?
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 10 Jul 2016
STANFORD, CA ? Emerging from the emergency room of the Stanford Medical Center late Saturday night with all his senses intact, 'Prince' Albert Pagara who had earlier been brutally knocked out by Cesar Juarez in the 8th round, declared that he will be back.
?Mag-boboksing pa tayo. Naunahan lang tayo. Ganyan talaga ang boksing, Si Pacquiao nga natalo rin. But I will be careful next time, (We're going to continue to box. He got me first. That's boxing. Even Pacquiao lost. But I will be careful next time),? Pagara assured his worried entourage including his elder brother Jason who were nervously waiting for the result of Albert's CT-Scan which turned out to be negative.
?What's important is Albert is okay,? ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer said with a big sigh of relief.
Pagara was carried in a stretcher and brought to the hospital in an ambulance after he failed to stand up on his own when Juarez hit him with a 4-punch combination in the opening seconds of the 8th round. Pagara said he was hit in the brain [left temple] and when he tried to stand up, he could not move his legs the reason why he remained down in the canvas resting on his head, hands and legs for some time.
A person familiar with the situation said Albert not able to move his legs was a sure sign of concussion but since the CT-Scan came out negative, it could only be a temporary or shaking concussion. The doctor gave the go signal for Albert to travel back to the Philippines but advised Aldeguer to closely observe Pagara in the next two weeks and have him rest the next six months.
Pagara, who appeared to be exhausted towards the end of the seventh round when he was hit with several heavy punches to the head and body by Juarez, said he was still okay as the 8th round started.
?I was still okay. Juarez does not hit that hard. I can take his punches,? Pagara said. ?But what took me out was when he hit my brain. But I'm okay now.?
Pagara, 22, who suffered the first loss of his career, his WBO Inter-Continental belt and his lofty ranking, will travel back to the Philippines on Tuesday in long flight that will surely give him plenty of time to re-think what went wrong in a fight against a bull-strong opponent that he personally requested.
Top photo: Albert Pagara (R) with brother Jason as he emerged from the emergency room of Stanford Medical Center late Saturday night (Sunday afternoon in Manila).
The punch that takes out Albert Pagara.
Pagara remained glued to the canvas as he could not move his legs.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dong Secuya.
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