ESCALANTE City?Melvin Gumban proved that he has the potential to be a boxing idol following a rousing seventh-round knockout of tough Indonesian John Bajawa last Saturday night.
The 22-year-old hometown boxer connected with his left hook the whole night but never seemed to put down Bajawa in the main event of the first installment of ALA Promotions? new boxing series ?Idol? at the jam-packed Escalante City Coliseum. Gumban finally landed the killer blow in the seventh, a left hook to the head in the 2:21 mark of the round.
?I was eager to knock him out but he was tougher than I thought. I was impressed by his toughness because I threw my best shots and he didn?t get down until the seventh,? Gumban told Sun.Star Cebu. ?What I learned from this fight is not to underestimate my opponent because he too has fists.?
ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer believes Gumban is still a work in progress and wants to showcase Gumban in more ?Idol? shows before fighting for a youth or regional title.
?We will do it again in his hometown. We want to make him a hometown hero. That is the culture of ?Idol?,? said Aldeguer. ?Maybe he fought with jitters. Gumban is a tactical fighter and doesn?t look for a knockout. He reads his opponents. Good thing he caught him with a left hook for a sensational knockout.?
Gumban improved to 15-0 with six knockouts, while Bajawa dropped to 11-5 with six knockouts.
