RP CHAMP ESCANER STOPS JAPANESE IN 4TH

It was indeed a victorious weekend for Filipino boxers as RP superbantam champ Alex Escaner displayed his power with a devastating fourth-round stoppage of Japanese Kenji Yoshimura yesterday at the IMP Hall in Osaka, Japan.

Escaner fought just hours after Bobby Pacquiao also scored a devastating fourth-round blitzkrieg over veteran Kevin Kelley at the famed Madison Square Garden, setting off a frenzy among Filipino fans back home that who had expected another Pacquiao to put the country's pride soaring once again.

Escaner, a native of Libac, Sultan Kudarat, finished off Yoshimura with bone-crushing blows, stopping the latter at the 1:48 mark of the fourth frame.

The Filipino, according to Japan's boxing guru Joe Koizumi, was trailing on points in the first three rounds, but suddenly exploded with combinations to drop his foe twice in the fatal round.