Mighty Mouse lives up to moniker
By Joaquin Henson
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 02 Mar 2021
Cuarto (L) and Taduran at the weighin.
Challenger Rene Mark Cuarto played the mouse in frustrating the cat then hung on with guile in the homestretch to dethrone IBF minimumweight champion Pedro Taduran on a unanimous 12-round decision at the Bula Gym in General Santos City last Saturday. Cuarto repeatedly beat Taduran to the punch with his hit-and-run tactics, leaving the defending titlist flustered in trying to score a homerun. Called the Mighty Mouse, Cuarto lived up to his moniker.
But Taduran had his moments. When Cuarto went toe-to-toe briefly in the fourth round, Taduran took the upper hand. A left hook to the head and a left uppercut to the body hurt Cuarto whose eyes turned to his corner for advice on what to do. In the seventh, a left to the jaw buckled Cuarto’s knees as he held on for dear life. Whenever Taduran got close, it raised a danger signal for Cuarto. In the ninth, Cuarto appeared to deliberately butt Taduran during a clinch. Referee Rodel Garde issued a warning to Cuarto but ordered no deduction. Before the incident, Cuarto dropped to a knee and Taduran’s manager Art Monis insisted it was a knockdown although Garde ruled it a slip. In the 11th, Cuarto wrestled Taduran to the canvas as he struggled to buy time in catching his breath. In the final round, Cuarto again went down on what seemed to be a “deliberate” slip, stymying Taduran’s desperate attack to stem the tide.
Cuarto’s masterful counterpunching did the trick. He danced around the onrushing Taduran, swayed side-to-side, was hardly a standing target and darted in and out to throw off the champion’s rhythm. Cuarto fired shots from distance, landing clear blows and dazzled Taduran with 1-2-3 combinations. Taduran was the aggressor, constantly attempting to trap Cuarto into a corner or along the ropes. Cuarto, however, proved elusive and was busier for the most part. Judges Alberto Dulalas and Rodel Densing had it even after 10 rounds then awarded the last two to Cuarto. Judge Sabas Ponpon, Jr. gave Cuarto three of the last four rounds. The three judges turned in identical 115-113 scorecards for Cuarto. GAB chairman Baham Mitra, acting as IBF title fight supervisor at ringside, said “it was as close as it gets even if unanimous.”
Cuarto’s trainer Nonoy Neri said it came down to execution. He said the next step could be a rematch, if it’s ordered by the IBF, or maybe a unification duel with newly-crowned regular WBA minimumweight champion Vic Saludar. Monis said Taduran should’ve won. “Mga suntok (ni Cuarto) karamihan sampal,” he said. “’Di ininda ni Pedro. Malungkot si Pedro, lamang niya two to three rounds kay Cuarto. May intentional headbutt at knockdown na hindi binilangan. Napaluhod si Cuarto pero walang bilang.” The butt opened a one-inch gash on Taduran’s scalp. Monis sent a letter to IBF president Daryl Peoples yesterday to request a rematch. “We are not convinced of the decision,” he wrote. “We accept defeat sportingly and admit the fact of losing. This fight is considered a huge controversy because even typical fans knew that Taduran won.” Mitra said he has been advised of Monis’ request for a rematch.
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