Orient and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) lightweight champion Randy Suico left Japanese challenger Koji Samejima crying unabashedly on his stool after scoring a brutal knockout at 2:23 of the eighth round to retain his crown before a huge outdoor crowd at the Mall of Asia parking lot last Saturday night.
Samejima was taller by two inches and enjoyed a five-inch reach advantage but Suico wouldn’t be denied an emphatic win to keep alive his hopes of another world title shot after losing to WBA lightweight champion Juan Diaz last year.
Suico’s manager Joe Koizumi said there is still work to be done in the gym before a second challenge. “Randy has to throw more combinations and show more hand and foot speed,” noted Koizumi. “I think after three more fights, he’ll be ready for a world title fight again. So far, I’ve managed two Filipino world champions – Luisito Espinosa and Joma Gamboa. Randy will be the third.”
From the start, Samejima fought defensively, using his long left jab more to keep Suico at bay rather than to inflict damage. It seemed like he had too much respect for Suico who is well-known as a Japanese tormentor. Samejima’s strategy was to survive the early rounds, tire out Suico and deliver a strong finishing kick.
Suico, however, had plans of his own. In the sixth round, he dropped Samejima with a left to the chest. And in the eighth, Suico unleashed a vicious left hook to the nose followed by a right straight to the jaw to deck Samejima who fell like a log. Referee Bruce McTavish didn’t bother to count as he quickly signaled ringside physician Dr. Redentor Viernes to check on the fallen fighter. An ugly welt swelled on the bridge of Samejima’s nose but Dr. Viernes ruled out a fracture.
Samejima lay on the canvas for a few minutes before he was brought to his stool where he wept like a baby, burying his face in a towel.
For a while, Suico was stymied by Samejima’s left jab and couldn’t penetrate his defense. He methodically broke down Samejima’s defense and patiently waited for an opening to unleash his bombs. When Suico finally detonated, Samejima was leveled flat on his back.
Koizumi hailed Suico’s performance as devastating and predicted bigger things to come for the Mandaue slugger.
In the undercard, WBO Asia-Pacific superfeatherweight titlist Jimrex Jaca was lucky to escape with his crown as McTavish said Japanese challenger Ryu Miyagi sliced a deep gash above his right eye with an accidental headbutt and stopped the fight at 2:17 of the second round on Dr. Viernes’ advice. It went into the record books as a technical draw.
Miyagi, 32, floored Jaca twice but went down once himself in a wild and wooly first round. Jaca, 24, was on the verge of collapsing when McTavish stepped in to summon Dr. Viernes in the second round. McTavish interrupted the action once in the first and twice in the second before waving it off, triggering catcalls from Miyagi’s corner for rescuing Jaca thrice.
WBO Asia-Pacific chairman Leon Panoncillo, who flew in from Honolulu to supervise the bout, said under the rules, the fight could only end in a technical draw because McTavish called an accidental headbutt within the first four rounds. The consensus among most ringsiders was Jaca’s wound was opened by legitimate blows.
But McTavish insisted a headbutt did the damage. “There’s no way a cut that deep could’ve been opened by a punch,” he said. “Rules are rules. Whether Miyagi was close to scoring a knockout or not is irrelevant.”
Promoter Rex (Wakee) Salud, who assembled the card for MP (Manny Pacquiao) Promotions, said he will arrange a rematch during the WBC Convention here in November.
Jaca said he was caught by surprise when Miyagi came out smoking from the onset but claimed he was never hurt. Despite what some fans called a bum rap, Miyagi didn’t complain. His cornerman, former Filipino fighter Joven Jorda, now living in Japan as a trainer, said it’s not in the Japanese nature to bellyache.
In another bout, former Philippine lightflyweight champion Wyndel Janiola pounded out a split 10-round decision over hard-luck Hiroyuki Hisataka. The fight was close and could’ve gone either way. Janiola was slapped a one-point deduction by referee Ver Abainza for an accidental headbutt in the eighth round but still gained the nod of judges Romy Yulo, 96-94, and Cris Odulio, 96-94. The third judge Salvador Lopez saw it 97-93 for Hisataka.
In a sixer, two-time OPBF flyweight titleholder Noriyuki Komatsu battled Roy Doliguez to a technical draw at 2:37 of the first. Komatsu suffered a two-inch cut over the right eye, prompting referee Warren Jaro to call it a night.
In the preliminaries, Danny Pe?a halted Marvin Tampus in three, Jonathan Ba-at and Eric Rapada fought to a technical draw, Roel Laguna stopped Mervin Batolina in one, Jayson Siaton TKOd Alvin Gonzales, Ali Cali scored a win by unanimous decision over Richard Donaire and Rodolfo Sumabong outpointed Ronel de la Pe?a via a majority decision.
