PHILIPPINE BOXING YEARENDER (PART I)
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 30 Dec 2011
Another year has passed. Philippine boxing continued to make strides but it was the familiar names that made an impact on the world championship stage. Manny Pacquiao?s majority decision win against Juan Manuel Marquez last November and its aftermath was the biggest boxing story in our archipelago.
In a fight where the majority of Filipinos thought the defending WBO welterweight champ would win by knockout, Marquez pushed him to the brink once again. The scoreline ignited a heated discussion ? again. It was truly ironic; for the past few years, Pacquiao?s victories united this nation. This time around, opinions about the verdict drove a wedge that cascaded across living rooms, offices, bars, the mass media and the world wide web. The discussions were civil most of the time but it doused cold water on the customary hysterical flag waving seen after every Pacquiao win.
Pacquiao?s other win was against a survival-conscious Shane Mosley. 2011 will not be remembered as the Pacman?s finest year but fans were still hoping that this would catalyze a long overdue showdown against Floyd Mayweather. But the long arm of the law got to Pretty Boy Floyd. Still, it would not surprise anyone if stories about the match-up will resurface next year.
The biggest and most spectacular victory delivered by a Filipino boxer was courtesy of Nonito Donaire,Jr. Everyone knew it was ?Knockout of the Year? material the moment Fernando Montiel lay on the canvas in the second round with legs twitching courtesy of the Filipino Flash?s left hook.
What made the win more significant was that both Donaire and Montiel were on the top ten pound for pound list. Donaire got the WBO and WBC belts and established himself as the top bantamweight in the world. He also had a frustrating twelve rounder against a reluctant opponent, Omar Narvaez. Donaire will move up to superbantamweight and is scheduled to face Wilfredo Vasquez,Jr in 2012.
Donnie ?Ahas? Nietes moved up to light flyweight and won his second WBO world title last October. In front of his hometown fans in Bacolod City, Nietes challenged Mexico?s Ramon Garcia Hirales and scored a unanimous decision win. Six months earlier, Nietes knocked out another Mexican, Armando Vasquez in one round, in a non-title fight also held in Bacolod.
Brian Viloria had an amazing career turnaround. The Hawaiian Punch dethroned WBO flyweight champion Julio Cesar Miranda of Mexico in Honolulu by unanimous decision. Last December 11, Viloria would face Giovani Segura ? who was the 9th ranked pound for pound fighter in the world ? in his first defense and win by 8th round TKO in Pasig City.
WINNING ON THE ROAD
Both Sylvester ?Silver? Lopez and Denver ?The Excitement? Cuello won WBC Silver titles on Mexican soil. Cuello celebrated in Quintana Roo twice, stopping Sebastian Arcos in three rounds last September and coming back three weeks later to win the minimumweight Silver title by first round TKO against Carlos Perez.
Lopez won the superflyweight Silver belt when he stopped Oscar Ibarra in 8 rounds in a fight held last September at the Plaza de Toros in Queretaro. Both Lopez and Cuello earned the number one contender status for their feats.
Filipino boxers made their presence felt as road warriors in Asia:
Larry ?Bon Jovi? Canillas won the Pan Asian Boxing Association (PABA) superbantamweight title belt in Thailand by 9th round TKO against Sukkasem Kietyongyuth (4-22-11). Canillas would lose in Japan six months later on points in a non-title bout to Yuta Uetani.
Jose Ocampo beat Thai Tor Silachai by 6th round TKO in Thailand for the WBO Oriental lightweight title (4-25-11). Ocampo would lose to countryman Rey Labao by technical decision four months later in a non-title contest.
Ronald Pontillas stopped Japanese Masao Nakamura in one round for the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) superfeatherweight title in Osaka (5-7-11).
Rey Lorito beat Wisanu Kokietgym by 6th round knockout for the PABA light flyweight title in a fight held in Bangkok (6-28-11).
Roilo Golez beat Thongthailek Sor Tanapinyo in Thailand by 10th round TKO for the Asian Boxing Council minimumweight title last July. Three months later Golez would lose in Mexico by 5th round TKO to Sammy Gutierez in a WBC silver lt.flyweight title bout.
Japan-based Rolly Matsushita Lunas beat fellow Pinoy Zerofit Jerope Zuiyama by 8th round KO for the vacant OPBF bantamweight title last July and in his first defense, Lunas beat Kohei Oba by 11th round TKO in Ishikawa, Japan.
Roli Gasca visited Japan twice, winning the OPBF superbantamweight title against Hiromasa Ohashi by majority decision last August but losing in his first defense against Yukinori Oguni by unanimous decision three months later.
Rocky Fuentes defended his OPBF flyweight title for the 4th time in Japan, beating Hirofumi Mukai by unanimous decision. Eduard Penerio knocked out Lookrak Kietmungmee of Thailand in one round in Tianjin, China for the vacant WBO Youth lt. flyweight title.
PINOY VS PINOY
Drian ?Gintong Kamao? Francisco vs. Michael ?Bruce Lee? Domingo was the all Filipino match-up that made the biggest buzz amongst hard core fans and boxing writers. There was no belt at stake but their careers hung in the balance. Francisco had earlier lost his WBA interim superflyweight title in Thailand toTepparith Singwangcha while Domingo lost an IBF bantamweight title eliminator in South Africa last year.
Their September affair turned out to be a technical battle with the more aggressive Francisco earning a unanimous decision verdict.
In another televised all-Pinoy battle, Froilan ?The Sniper? Saludar shot down former WBC International 105 lb. titlist Gabriel Pumar in the 10th round and won the vacant WBO Asia-Pacific flyweight title in Cavite last August.
More and more Pinoy boxers were matched up against each other for regional belts:
Donny Mabao won the vacant WBC-Asian Boxing Council minimumweight title by unanimous decision over Mateo Handig last September 16 in Surigao del Sur. Eduard Penerio won the vacant
WBO Oriental flyweight title by beating Jecker Buhawe by unanimous decision in Angeles City (3-25-11).
Jether Oliva beat Fernando Ocon by UD in San Francisco, Southern Leyte for the vacant WBO Oriental minimumweight title last May. Oliva would lose his world title challenge in Mexico to Ulises Solis three months later.
Sonny Boy Jaro beat Rey Migreno by 4th round TKO for the interim IBF Pan Pacific lt.flyweight title last June in Angono, Rizal. Fernando Lumacad beat Ricky Sabia by second round knockout to win the vacant WBC-Asian Boxing Council flyweight title in Gen.Santos City (6-11-11).
Randy Petalcorin won the PABA interim Lt.flyweight title by disqualification in the 8th round against Michael Rodriguez in Mandaue City (8-6-11). Petalcorin had earlier won the vacant WBC-Asian Boxing Council lt.flyweight title in Gen.Santos City by knocking out Yodchingchai Sithkonnapha of Thailand.
Merlito Sabillo won the vacant OPBF minimumweight title by unanimous decision against Rodel Tejares (10-8-11) in Bacolod.
WBO Oriental super bantamweight champion Jessie ?The Terminator? Albaracin beat challenger Marvin Tampus by fifth round TKO in an entertaining slugfest at the Hoops Dome in Lapulapu City last October.
Al Sabaupan, who won the IBF PanPacific lightweight title by Heri Adyanto of Indonesia by 3rd round TKO last April in Pasig City, defended his title against Jonel Gadapan and stopped him in four rounds last December 11 in the undercard of Viloria vs Segura. In that same card, Arden Diale beat Lolito Sonsona by UD for the vacant IBF Pan Pacific Youth flyweight title.
With more Filipinos getting their crack at regional titles and the world rankings that go with it, will we see an all Filipino match-up at the world championship level in 2012?
WOMEN?S BOXING
Ana ?The Hurricane? Julaton successfully defended her WBO female superbantamweight title twice against Franchesca Alcanter (UD 10) and Jessica Villafranca (UD 10). She would also beat Angel Gladney in a non-title bout. Julaton?s win against Villafranca in Yucatan made her join the short list of Pinoys who won world title fights on Mexican soil ? Luisito Espinosa, Donnie Nietes (thrice) and Rodel Mayol.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..
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