TYSON Cave ran his mouth all week long and come fight night, he still ran.
Despite being frustrated and angered by the flamboyant Canadian?s tactics, AJ ?Bazooka? Banal did enough to score an eighth-round technical decision and retained his World Boxing Organization Asia-Pacific bantamweight crown, after the match was stopped prematurely due to a huge gash on the 22-year-old Cebuano?s right eyebrow.
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The fight was waived off by referee Tony Pesons in the 2:33 mark of the eighth on the recommendation of the ring physician, after Banal?s cut, acquired from a headbutt in the fifth, kept bleeding profusely. All three judges saw the fight in favor of Banal with scores of 79-73, 78-74 and 78-74.
At the start of the fight, Banal was eager to shut up Cave, who did some trash-talking all week long. However, hitting Cave seemed difficult for Banal as the 29-year-old Canadian champion resorted to running instead of boxing.
Banal occasionally landed some clean blows but he didn?t seem to find the finishing punch as Cave constantly backpedaled when the former world title contender found his rhythm. Cave also constantly threw Banal to the canvas.
The boxing fans of about 7,000 at the Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu City showed their displeasure at Cave?s style with constant jeers. But Cave ignored the fans and still continued to do what he did best ? run.
?Was that a fight or a marathon? The guy keeps on running. We thought he would fight but he was practically running,? ALA Gym founder Antonio Lopez Aldeguer said after the fight.
After the fight was stopped, a frustrated and bloodied Banal, who improved to 25-1-1 with 19 KOs, still wanted a crack at the boastful Canadian and threw punches at him as Cave went to the center of the ring.
Even though Cave didn?t land the more telling blows, he and his team believed that they were robbed.
?I think I lost only a round and won seven,? Cave, who fell to 15-2 with five KOs, said.
ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer believes that Banal has improved a lot and is ready for a rematch with his only tormentor, Rafael Concepcion, early next year in Cebu, with the Hoops Dome as a possible venue.
?We have to see Concepcion is on the horizon. Maybe one more fight before Concepcion. But definitely Concepcion will happen.?
Meanwhile, grizzled veteran Michael Domingo (41-15-5, 18 KOs) was successful in his Philippine comeback as he retired Indonesian Richard Samosir (18-4-3, 7 KOs) at the end of the sixth round.
Unbeaten knockout artist Lorenzo Villanueva (21-0, 20 KOs) claimed his 20th KO victim by stopping Indonesian veteran Eddy Camaro (24-11-4, 9 KOs) in the opening round.
Romeo Jackosalem (12-4-1, 6 KOs) dethroned RP light welterweight champion Eusebio Baluarte (17-4, 10 KOs) with a first round stoppage.
