Montilla Edges Tinampay for PBF Crown
By Salvador Lopez
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 14 Feb 2007
Former long-reigning Philippine Lightweight Champion and Manny Pacquiao's favorite sparmate Fernando Montilla won a close split decision over Arniel Tinampay to wrest the latter?s Philippine Boxing Federation (PBF) Superlightweight Title in last night?s main event in the ?Bakbakan sa Tagaytay Part IV? held in the newly built Tolentino Sports Center in Tagaytay City.
Right in the very first round, both boxers were trading clean punches although Montilla appeared to have gotten the better of it punctuating the round with left straight to the face of Tinampay. In the second round, Tinampay proved to be better in the exchanges initiating it with a big right straight to the face of Montilla.
The third round saw Tinampay slowly dominating the fight this time scoring a variety of punches: digging body shots, right straights to the face, and wicked crosses to the head. Montilla, for his part continued to display a lot of grit and determination still landing some shots of his own although it was evident that he was being overpowered at this point. Tinampay?s domination continued until the fourth round when he absorbed an ugly cut to the bottom part of his left eye as a result of the headbutt. For a while, the fight was stopped for the ring physician to check on the condition of the cut. Fortunately for the crowd, the cut was not that serious and the fight was allowed to continue. However, it had serious consequences on Tinampay as he appeared to have lost a lot of steam after the injury and allowed Montilla to get back into the thick of things.
The fifth round was close but Montilla effectively controlled the sixth round as he was now landing heavy hooks to the head and body of Tinampay, the latter, his vision apparently disturbed by the cut, unable to defend himself properly.
The seventh round saw the fighters engaged in an exchange of flurries but a beautiful combination to the head scored by Montilla towards the end of the round might have won him this round.
Montilla opened the eight round with another combination but Tinampay appeared to have gained second wind as he slowly and patiently got back into the fight, this time, defending himself better and effectively scoring well-timed hooks to the body and straights to the head of Montilla. It appeared that Tinampay clearly won this round.
The ninth round was close with Montilla taking the role of an aggressor and Tinampay countering with heavy punches. This round could go to either fighter. At this point, it looked like the fight would have to be decided in the final round.
In the last round, Montilla appeared to be the hungrier fighter and continued to carry the fight. Tinampay, however, appeared to have coasted a little bit in this round and paid dearly for it as Montilla clearly won this round. Had Tinampay won it, he might have ended up the winner by a split decision.
In the end, it was Montilla himself who won the fight via a split decision by the scores of 95-94 and 96-93 in his favor, and 95-94 in favor of Tinampay.
Veteran Referee Virgilio Garcia was the third man in the ring.
The other fights in the event saw the following results:
Diosdado Perez winning over Jose Ocampo by a split decision in a featherweight fight by the scores of 39-36, 39-36, and 36-39;
Jun Piasidad scoring a UD win over Dennis Caw-as in a super-flyweight bout by the scores of 40-36, 40-36, and 39-37;
Lobert Bayo defeating Erwin Omnis by UD in a flyweight bout by the score 39-37 in all three judges? scorecards; and
Jino Quilitar winning over Dennis Bolcio by UD in a flyweight bout by the scores of 40-36, 40-36, and 39-37.
The boxing event was promoted by Jun Sarreal in coordination with Mayor Abraham Tolentino of Tagaytay City.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Salvador Lopez.
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