Filipino boxers yesterday defeated Mexico, 5-1, to win the Boxing World Cup at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California but the celebration came without the proverbial icing on the cake.
You just cannot have it all, or so it seems, at least not if Murphy?s Law is out there lurking somewhere.
So, with the Boxing World Cup already in the bag by way of five straight victories out of six scheduled bouts, all that was left for Team Philippines was the expected win by best bet Rey ? Boom Boom ? Bautista in the main event itself.
But if anything can go wrong, it will, or so the killjoy Murphy?s Law goes.
And so, right in the very first round, with just 2:30 gone in the bout, a smashing right jab and left hook combination by Mexican WBO superbantamweight champion Daniel Ponce de Leon caught Bautista flush on the chin.
The knees of the heretofore undefeated Filipino challenger from Bohol wobbled, and he collapsed to the canvass. Bautista struggled up to beat the count but it was clear he was finished.
As the referee signalled the fight to continue, de Leon rained a flurry of hard lefts on the dazed Boholano and Bautista dropped to his knees a second time. The Filipino tried to get up but referee Jon Schorle had seen enough and waved the fight to a halt.
Not only did Bautista lose in his first title bid, he was the only one who lost in the winning Philippine bid for the Boxing World Cup, which Mexico held after defeating Thailand in the inaugural series two years ago.
In the book of de Leon, Bautista became his 29th knockout victim in an impressive record of 32 victories. For Bautista, it was his first loss in 24 fights, 17 of which he won via the short route.
With Bautista failing to deliver the icing on the cake, the highlight of the Philippine victory went to the stunning come-from-behind victory of aging Cebuano fighter Gerry Penalosa who, trailing on all scorecards, sent a single thundering picture-perfect left hook crashing into the ribs of WBO bantamweight champion Jhonny Gonzales in the 7th round, dropping the Mexican on his knees gasping for breath.
Before reaching the count of 10, referee Pat Russell waved the bout to an end.
Not only did Penalosa win the title and improve his record to 52-6-2 with 35 KOs, he also made history by becoming, with his brother Dodie Boy Penalosa, the first Asian siblings to win two world titles in different weight categories.
Prior to snatching the WBO bantamweight title from Gonzales, Penalosa previously held the WBC superflyweight tile. Brother Dodie Boy once ruled the IBF lightflyweight and flyweight divisions.
Penalosa also became the third reigning world boxing champion from the Philippines after Florante Condes annexed the IBF minimumweight title and Nonito Donaire won the IBF/IBO flyweight crown.
Diosdado Gabi ( 30-3-1, 21KOs ) set the ball rolling for the Filipinos when he scored a lopsided decision over Jose Angel Beranza in eight rounds. Then RP bantamweight champion Michael Domingo ( 32-14-2, 12KO ) began to make Filipinos at home sit up before their tv sets when he turned back previously unbeated Miguel Roman, also by unanimous decision.
Things began to get really exciting when undefeated Boholano superflyweight prospect AJ ? Bazooka ? Banal scored a rousing 3rd round knockout of Jorge Cardenas, who sprained an ankle while dropping to the canvass from a powerful right hook and had to be carried from the ring on a stretcher.
With the Filipinos now holding a commanding 3-0 lead in the six-bout World Cup, the nation held its breath as stylish Cebuano Z ? The Dream ? Gorres, who almost did not make it to the series due to questions regarding the health of one eye, went for the crucial 4th win that would seal his team?s victory.
And Gorres did not disappoint his teammates and his countrymen.
Rushing to an early lead, Gorres did not allow the bout to go the distance where anything can happen along the way. By the 8th round his Mexican opponent, Eric Ortiz, a former WBC lightflyweight champion, was so battered and no longer in a position to safely defend himself that the ring physician asked referee Raul Caiz to stop the bout.
The Gorres win brought the score to 4-0, sealing the victory for the Filipinos.
Then came the fight of Penalosa, who at 35, seemed headed to give the Philippines its first defeat, when suddenly he let go off that left hook in the 7th that the rib cage of the Mexican Gonzales just was not prepared to take.
All of a sudden, the unthinkable suddenly seemed very possible ? a Filipino sweep of the Mexicans. With the World Cup already safely in the bag and the score standing at 5-0, and with the undefeated Boom Boom Bautista, the best bet in the Philippine challenge going for win number six, everything all seemed so very within reach.
Unfortunately, where lay the greatest hope came the biggest disappointment.
Bautista did not even last one round.
In a post-fight interview, his conqueror, de Leon, said he was very confident he would beat Bautista. ? I came ready to throw hard punches from the beginning. I?m prepared for this fight. Unfortunately, we did not win the World Cup but I knew I was going to win so I can contribute to the World Cup. Viva Mexico! ?
As to Bautista, all he can do is bow his head. ? I feel ashamed, ? he said before leaving the ring, according to a report by Doug Fischer in maxboxing.com.
But Fischer said ? He ( Bautista ) shouldn?t be. He?s a green prospect who had no business being installed as the No. 1 contender to the WBO 122-pound title. He?s a growing fighter who got caught by a mature fighter who just happens to be a murderous puncher. ?
As reward for dethroning Mexico, boxing great Oscar dela Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions who bankrolled the World Cup, said he will be flying to the Philippines to personally hand over the gold and diamond laced World Cup to President Arroyo. Arroyo herself quickly congratulated the Filipino boxers.
The country that win the World Cup for three consecutive times will get to own the US$500,000 trophy.
