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Philippines, 11 May 2026 |
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When Fighters Don?t Fight By Epifanio M. Almeda PhilBoxing.com Sun, 20 Apr 2008 The semblance of a fight put up by junior-featherweights Noel Sungahid and Anthony Esmedina marred the action packed Summer Heat Boxing card presented by the Elorde International Productions at the Elorde Sports Complex in Sucat, Para?aque City last night. Sungahid and Esmedina overdid their hugs at every start of a round which betrayed their being friends outside the ring and which they brought inside it. Veteran referee Virgilio Garcia warned both fighters more than once, during the dull 10-round fight, to fight. Garcia said he was about to declare the make believe fight a no contest as he noticed the two clowns talking to each other while clinching. Marco Antonio Barrera and Robbie Peden were reportedly friends and sparring partners. But when they were matched in a real fight, MAB and Peden showed professionalism by exercising their profession even against each other. Since the Sungahid-Esmedina dance was allowed to continue, the judges had to submit their scores just the same. The scores of 96-93, 96-93 & 97-93 made Esmedina the winner by unanimous decision. Blame it on frustration maybe, referee Garcia erred in raising Sungahid?s hand in victory as Esmedina?s name was announced as the winner. The Sungahid-Esmedina non-fight short changed the paying public, cheated the promoter and the fight sponsors, and bruised the image of Philippine boxing. When fighters don?t fight, the GAB should let them. The Jaypee Otilla-Samuel Apuya 6-round super-flyweight bout was the most exciting and the loudest applauded of the evening. Both entered the ring with 2 wins each and no loss in their records. Both hard hitters gave and took hard shots and showed that they have the skill to deliver and the chin to take what they could not avoid. Apuya prevailed by majority decision with the scores of 58-56, 59-55 & 57-57. Watch out for Apuya, and even Otilla, to make waves in the near future. In the main event, WBO ASPAC flyweight champion Drian Francisco won by unanimous decision over veteran Jun Eraham in their 10-round non-title fight. Francisco was busier and the more accurate puncher. He repeatedly rocked Eraham with stiff jabs, straight rights and right uppercuts knocking down the latter once in the fight. The scores were 99-90, 99-90 & 100-89. Other results: Warlito Pare?as won by 5th round TKO over John Naimes, 110 lbs, 8-rounds. Johary Rosia won by majority decision over Marco Niones, 115 lbs, 6-rounds. Robel Villegas won by unanimous decision over Manny Talisic, 108 lbs, 6-rounds. Ronilo Sermona won by split decision over Arjet Caballes, 115 lbs, 4-rounds. Loyd Francisco won by 1st round TKO over Ronel Romasanta, 122 lbs, 4-rounds. Ryan Sermona won by majority decision over Michael Dan Rubio, 122 lbs, 4-rounds. Rolando Niones won by 1st round TKO over Leonardo Talisic, 105 lbs, 4-rounds. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Epifanio M. Almeda.  |
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