CANOY, MARCIAL VICTORIOUS IN ZAMBOANGA
By Salven L. Lagumbay
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 15 Feb 2009
ZAMBOANGA CITY--Reigning WBO Oriental featherweight titlist Eric Canoy outpointed Saranggani's Elmer Legaria over ten rounds in their non-title duel on Friday at the Zamboanga City Coliseum.
Canoy looked the more superior fighter all throughout as he used a pricking jab to keep Legaria at bay, and dug to the body everytime his younger foe came close en route to a 99-93 and 98-94 win on two judges' cards. The third judge saw is 98-97 for Legaria, which surprised even local Games and Amusement Board officials.
With the win, Canoy improved his unbeaten record to 9 wins with 5KO's, and lines him up for a possible title defense sometime March in Thailand and a planned stint in the United States.
Congressman Erbie Fabian, who organized the free-to-the-public event, said Canoy is now ready to venture overseas and will take on all comers.
"We will bring him to Thailand for his title defense, then if he wins it, he can go to Japan or the US. He is now ready to fight outside of the country," announced Fabian, the acknowledged father of boxing in the region.
In the co-feature, unbeaten WBO Oriental superfeatherweight champion Anthony 'Rocky' Marcial continued his knockout spree with a first-round demolition of Jovi Merca of Butuan's Dako Plaza Stable.
The heavy-handed Marcial scored two knockdowns right in the opening round, prompting referee Andres Manatad to call a halt to the bout to save Merca from further punishment.
The end came at the 2:42 mark of the first round, improving Marcial's unblemished record to 13 wins with 12 KO's.
Up next for Marcial is a possible stint on April 25 underneath the Daniel Ponce De Leon headliner in Manila.
WBO Asia Pacific chairman Leon Panoncillo congratulated both Canoy and Marcial via long-distance calls after their respective fights.
On the undercard, Jun Tasic of the Plaza Stable stopped local boy Leclec Tanamor in the fifth round; Freddie Martinez of Plaza Stable decisioned Marlon Canoy; John Ray Gaspar of Fabian Stable stopped Reynaldo Buluan; and Brobron Lanquido of Ipil decisioned Donde Daygon of Saranggani.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Salven L. Lagumbay.
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