Superstar Manny Pacquiao highlighted the win of Filipino boxers in a big-time US card. Pacquiao demolished Mexican fighter Hector Velazquez in the sixth round, setting the stage for the much awaited rematch with Erik Morales, who suffered a humiliating unanimous defeat to Zahir Raheem in the same card for the WBC International lightweight title.
Morales will scale down back to the 130-pound division to fight Pacquiao.
Two other Filipinos scored wins in the card with Hawaii-based Filipino-American Brian Viloria wresting the WBC 105lb title after a one-round knockout win over dethroned champion Eric Ortiz of Mexico.
Not to be outdone, Boholano sensation Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista opened the Filipinos’ sterling performances in the card with a third-round KO win over Columbian Felix-Flores Murillo.
With the Filipinos winning convincingly in the card, the Philippines was in a frenzy.
But while the Filipinos celebrated the victories of Pacquiao, Viloria and Bautista, Randy Suico and Eriberto “Ioka” Gejon had sad stories to tell. Suico lost by majority decision to ex-world champion Javier Jaregui in a 10-round non-title event in Los Angeles, while Gejon suffered his first defeat – a split decision loss for the WBA 105lb title to Yutaka Niida.
Suico’s loss was highly criticized since the OPBF super-featherweight champion had Jaregui on defense most of the time. Observers likewise noted that Gejon was “robbed” of the title. After a cut above Gejon’s right eye worsened in the ninth, the fight was decided on the judges’ scorecards with Niida getting what Gejon’s camp described was a hometown decision. Panamanian judge Medardo Villalobos scored it 97-93 in favor of Gejon, but Thai Pinit Prayadsab and Korean Wansoo Yuh scored identical close scores of 96-95 for Niida. It was learned later that Prayadsab and Yuh had judge in Niida’s two previous title defenses. The WBA, however, assured Gejon of a rematch.
Tagbilaran City amateur boxers rise
For the first time, Tagbilaran City’s amateur boxers won the overall championship in the Visayas Inter-City Amateur Boxing tournament. After hosting three previous competitions, Tagbilaran City finally won the overall title convincingly, bagging four of the seven gold medals at stake. Defending champion Cebu City, Mandaue City and Bacolod City won one each.
Cesafi’s ugliest brawl
What was supposed to be a typical Cesafi Sunday turned out to be the ugliest game in the five-year history of Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi). It started with University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors’ James Ahmman Tagalog trash talking with University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters’ Allain Abellanosa. It ended in a bench-clearing affair.
Two lawyers investigated and recommended the sanctions to the Cesafi board, which ordered suspensions on Tagalog and Abellanosa for the rest of the season. Referees Ernesto Cane, Melvin Caumeran and Godofredo Villaro were suspended for three games for failure to control the situation.
Deciding on another incident, the Cesafi board upheld the suspension of UV Baby Lancers coach Delfin Pepito Jr. for the rest of the season for punching referee Jimmy Yba?ez during the Baby Lancers-USC Baby Warriors game on Aug. 8 in Minglanilla.
UC snaps UV’s 57-game win streak
AS IF the suspension on Abellanosa was a blessing in disguise, the UC Webmasters went on to score an 88-76 come-from-behind win over the University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers at the UV Gym on the same day the suspension was announced. The win snapped the 57-game win streak of UV, which started during the inaugural season of Cesafi in 2001.
UV, however, went on to keep its title, sweeping UC in two games in the championship series.
UC wins 8th Milo Olympics title
THE University of Cebu athletes again displayed a show of force when they bagged their eighth consecutive overall title during the 10th Milo Little Olympics held here. The Sacred Heart School-Jesuits, on the other hand, had a breakthrough performance winning the overall title in the Elementary division.
