The young fighter given the least chance of bagging the crown ended up having the last laugh as wiry Gabriel Pumar of Lapu-Lapu City took the World Boxing Council International minimumweight title yesterday with an earth-shaking seventh-round knockout over title-holder Tshepo Lefele at the Wembley Arena in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Pumar put on an splendid display of boxing, initiating the action as he knocked down the South African for the first time in the fifth round, although referee Andy Smale ruled it a slip.
Pumar upped the tempo of his attack when fight resumed, again sending down Lefele in the sixth frame as the South African grew tired from the onslaught.
Two more knockdowns in the seventh this time convinced the referee to stop the fight, crowning Pumar as the new champion and upping his unblemished record to 9 wins with 6 KO's. More importantly, the win over the WBC no. 12 Lefele will catapult Pumar into the WBC top 15 next month.
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza, a big supporter of Pumar, is set to host a grand welcome for the Wakee Salud protege, as Pumar and his team arrives today at 12:30PM in Cebu after a brief stopover in Hongkong.
Pumar's relatives and fans are also slated to meet him at the Mactan Cebu International Airport today to congratulate the young champion.
"Grabe, he really proved that underdogs are dangerous when taken for granted. Pumar makes history as the first Filipino to win a major crown in South Africa," informed Wakee Salud in a long-distance call yesterday.
Benedict Suico, the other Filipino who saw action, was not as lucky as he succumbed to a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of WBC International flyweight boss Monelisi Myekeni.
Suico fought with a fever brought about by a tonsilitis suffered in Johannesburg, although his manager was quick to point out that he indeed lost the fight.
"Sayang, kundisyon na kundisyon sana. Pero tinamaan siya ng lagnat," Salud clarified.
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