TABUGON LOSES BY 5TH ROUND TKO TO MAKAZOLE TETE IN CLASH FOR VACANT IBF INTERCONTINENTAL JUNIOR BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE

Tete.

In what boxing writer Ron Jackson described as a wild swinging affair, South Africa?s Makazole Tete won on a fifth round stoppage against Raymond Tabugon of the Philippines to claim the vacant IBF Intercontinental junior bantamweight title at the Orient Theatre in East London on Saturday, Manila Time.

After a quiet opening round, Tabugon stunned Tete with a big right hand to the head forcing Tete to holding which merited a one point deduction by referee Deon Dwarte who did a fine job as third man in the ring. There was little in it in rounds three and four with Tete doing enough to win the rounds but only just.

In round five a right to the head sent Tabugon down for a count. However, the Filipino never fully recovered from the knockdown and after another barrage of punches from the South African that left Tabugon staggering around the ring, his corner ignoring the possibility of a disqualification jumped into the ring to save their fighter, as the referee waved the fight off at 2 minutes 15 seconds into the round.

Tete improved his record to 16-1-1; 11 and Tabugon?s record dropped to 18-5-1; 8.