PHILIPPINE boxing scored another far-reaching three-peat that resulted in three regional crowns for the country.
Last night in the bustling city of Tagbilaran, Bohol, rising star Rey ‘Boom Boom’ Bautista kept his World Boxing Organization (WBO) Asia-Pacific bantamweight crown with a trouble-free 2nd round knockout win over hapless foe Obote Ameme of Tanzania.
From the onset, it was already perceptible that the 18-year-old Bautista (18-0, 14 KO’s) was in for an early night of sparkler as the Candijay-native fighter instantly stamped through his foe with vicious shots to the face and body.
Halfway through the second round, Bautista floored his already disconcerted foe with digging body shots.
The 27-year-old Tanzanian reluctantly got up but after few seconds, Bautista continued his flurry until a ruthless left hook to the body finally put Ameme to sleep at 1:57 of the second round to the delight of some 15,000 enthusiasts who witnessed the roughly Php3-million boxing card jointly supported by city executive Dan Neri Lim and provincial boss Eric Aumentado.
In the supporting main event, local boy Czar Amonsot snatched the WBO Aspac superfeatherweight crown by stopping Victor Mausol of Indonesia in the 8th canto.
The 12-round bout nearly became a party spoiler as Amonsot (13-1-1, 11 KO’s), despite his many unsullied shots to Mausol’s face and torso, failed to stifle his counter-punching rival.
Three creepy right uppercuts by Mausol floored Amonsot in the 5th round that brought about an eerie silence among majority of spectators.
Amonsot, not wanting a reprehensible loss in front of a hometown crowd, battled Mausol toe-to-toe in the ensuing rounds until the former connected a debilitating left hook to the Indon’s right ear, conclusively ending the night in the fateful round in favor of the hometown boy.
Meanwhile in Tokyo, Japan, ex-world flyweight king Malcolm Tu?acao seized the Oriental bantamweight tiara by decisioning a now dethroned ruler Kumarnthong Sor Pluemkamol of Thailand in their 12-round battle via scores of 120-109, 119-109 and 118-111.
Both Bautista and Amonsot are revving up for US bouts in December and January respectively while the newly-minted Oriental titlist Tu?acao, in an overseas telephone interview, revealed an April 2006 title defense versus Japan-based Russian Sasha Baktin.
Their wins served as a consequential follow-up to the September conquest of Filipino boxing superstar Manny Paccquiao, lightflyweight champ Brian Viloria and Bautista at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
