BINANGONAN, Rizal ? Slick-punching Denver Cuello of Jaro Boxing Stable retained his RP minimumweight title with a technical draw with Cebu?s Rollen del Castillo in the third round of a 12-round title fight dubbed ?Matira ang Matibay? at the Thunderbird Resort and Casino, here last night (Oct. 28).
Referee Ver Abainza halted the action at 1:34 upon the advice of the ring physician after the 19-year-old defending titlist from Cabatuan, Iloilo suffered a nasty cut above the right eyebrow caused by accidental headbutt.
Under the rules in a championship bout, a fight is automatically declared as technical draw if the injury was inflicted before the fourth round.
Before the stoppage of the action, Cuello (12-2-3, 5KOs), whose mother, Irene, died of heart attack in Brgy. Tuy-an, Cabatuan, Iloilo days earlier, scored a flash knockdown in what appeared to be a push in the second stanza.
An accidental headbutt in the opening round also opened a small cut in the left eyebrow of the Cebuano customer from the fabled SGG Stable who is rated No. 1 contender.
Both champion and challenger thrilled the crowd with impressive display of skills and Class A performance.
?I dedicate this fight to my mother who passed away. I will go home in Iloilo to attend her burial,? said Cuello, whose father Demetrio works as offset operator in a printing press owned by the West Visayas State University in Iloilo City.
The 11-bout, 74-round double Philippine championship card promoted by Aljoe Jaro International Promotion, also produced one of the most fantastic knockout wins ever registered in the local ring when RP 108-lb king Sonny Boy Jaro kept his crown with a spectacular one-punch stoppage of challenger Alfred Nagal of Cavite City.
In the supporting main event, RP No. 4 116-lb contender Richard Olisa put away rugged former RP champion Celso Danggod with a 9th round technical decision win; bantamweight Dante Cantiga eked out a split decision over Sonny Gonzales in another 10-round appetizer; Jayson Perater pounded out a unanimous decision win over Dandy Francisco in a 6-rounder.
WBO bantamweight ruler Gerry Penalosa and his wife Goody, accompanied by a security provided for VIP guests, showed up and was applauded by fans upon formal introduction.
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