THE Koreans and the ALA Boys marked their billings by igniting a fiery show in the Lee Dong-Gyu’s BP Entertainment of South Korea and SGG Promotions “KO Artists 2: WBO Asia Pacific Championships” at the Cebu City Waterfront Hotel-Lahug Grand Ballroom Saturday night.
The Korean fighters showed formidable force and the ALA Boys came up with dazzling performances to punctuate the event.
Four out of five Koreans won their respective matches, while the four ALA Boys whipped their separate opponents. The RP Championship match between Rocky Fuentes and Benedict Suico was also action-packed, but only a few lucky souls witnessed the event.
Although stripped of his WBO Asia Pacific Jr. welterweight title, Young Sung Kim kept the title vacant after beating Thai Kongtoranee Por Surasak in a highly-appreciated knockout win at the 36-second mark of the seventh round.
Survival
The very young Jong Wa Lee opened up the Korean’s victory bash with a majority decision win over Jimboy Jacinto, Beong Joo Moon survived a deep cut on his right eye to beat Noli Fabroa by TKO at the 1:20 of the fourth round then Jae Seong Lee set lose a battery of talent and pulped Tony Arema of Indonesia by TKO at the 1:30 mark of the fifth round.
South Korea’s only setback was lady fighter Kim Bo Young, who suffered a split decision loss to Cebuana Judith Subingsubing, in the most cheered at four-round contest.
ALA stole the show
However, the show was all meant for the ALA Boys—Donnie “Ahas” Nietes kept his WBO Asia Pacific belt with a knockout win over Thai challenger Saengpetch Sor Sakulran at the eighth round, Fuentes finally won the RP flyweight title with a TKO win at the 2:53 mark of the eight round over Suico; James Bacon made an auspicious ring debut, drawing the quickest win of the card, a 57-second knockout win at the very first round over Danilo Logramonte; and Joseph Von Mi?oza beat Tata Galendez to a pulp for a unanimous win, also in his debut as a pro fighter.
Young, who wore a heavier glove as penalty for missing the 140-pound limit, pummeled Kongtoranee with vicious combinations to put the Thai on the canvas for good following a heated exchange of hard punches at the outset.
Nietes, on the other hand, proved to be a one-punch KO artist as his wicked uppercut to the chin felled the bull-headed Sor Sakulran to the canvas, while being counted out of the fight.
Unleashed talents
The tough and headstrong Sakulran kept his stance despite Nietes’ serial punches for six rounds. But the Murcia-Negros Occidental champion found a chink in the challenger’s armor and unleashed his bout-ending uppercut.
Fuentes and Suico lived up to their hype as both fighters traded hard punches from the beginning with neither fighter appearing to get the edge.
However, as the fight wore on, Fuentes’ steady ring savvy prevailed over Suico’s, who showed body weakness.
Warned for hitting low blows for two occasions, Fuentes put down Suico on the fourth, fifth and twice in the eighth to win the vacant Philippine 112-pound belt.
