Magsayo keeps featherweight belt

After brawl with Japanese veteran

TAGBILARAN CITY, November 25 (PIA)—Homegrown favourite Mark Magnifico Magsayo retains his World Boxing Organization International Featherweight Championship belt after 12 rounds of slugfest with Japanese Featherweight Champion Syota Hayashi to the contentment of Boholanos filling the Bohol Wisdom School Gymnasium November 25.

Winning via a 116-112 unanimous decision from three judges, Magsayo, who is touted as a short distance fighter, disposing majority of his opponents in less than five rounds, also proved he can go the distance if only to appease a crowd whose appetite was honed by two quick co-main event fights.

Magsayo, sporting black shorts with red trims, used everything in his arsenal to bring the Japanese challenger down and end the fight, but it proved useless.

Everytime the Tagbilaran boxer unleashes his deadly combinations following his effective jabs that had the Japanese fighter bleeding from the nose, the contender who keeps W-30 L-6 and D-1 record with 18 KOs ended the fight in gallant stance counterpunching and driving the Boholano fighter to the ropes and beckpedaling with similarly effective crisp combinations.

The judges however heaped the scores for Magsayo.

The win could increase some more of his world rankings. Magsayo is World Boxing Council’s #8 featherweight and World Boxing Organization’s # 2.

Magsayo improved his record to 18 wins, 0 loses and 0 draws, 13 of these by knock-outs.

In another fight, Jeo “Santino” Santisima would only take 36 seconds to send Indonesian Kimchang “The Lion from Borneo” Kim kneeling in the corner canvas as the Masbate boxer jumped into the opportunity to pounce on Kim.

A straight left to Kim’s midsection followed by a right hook to the sides sent the Indonesian lion from Borneo into a kitten stepping aside to the neutral corner, clearly hurt.

With Santino shuffling his feet to launch another barrage, Kim toppled on his knees, and then on all fours to the wild appreciation of the largely Filipino crowd. 

Referee Teddy Alivio waved Santisima off for the victory that improved the Filipino record to 15-2-0 and 13 by KO. 

Also returning fighter Prince Albert Pagara, who had neon green trunks fighting in the 124.5 pounds best also kept ALA promotions proud with a 2.26 seconds win in the second round over Tanzanian Mohammed Chico Kambuluta.

Pagara, who keeps the International Boxing Federation Intercontinental and WBO Intercontinental Light weight titles showed unsual patience stalking the African who had a tendency to fling his arms wild.

A loping right from Pagara 2:15 before the end of round 1 sent the Tanzanian contender to the canvas.

By 1:32 to the end of the round, referee Gilbert Peligrino has to pause the timers for the African team to fix the boxer’s shoes, as its soles opened. 

A medical plaster wrapped around the Adidas boxing shoes later, and the fight went on.

By 2:24 mark or 46 seconds into round 2, a crisp straight to the African midsection had referee Peligrino calling off the fight. 

Pagara improved his record to 29 wins and 20 through knock outs with one loss and no draws while Kambuluta went W-17 L-4 and D-0 with 6 KOS. 

In the undercards, Rocky Fuentes beat Ryam Tampus via unanimous decision while Junior Featherweight Virgil Vitor also outclassed Johnrey Logatiman for a unanimous decision. 

Melvin Jerusalem also beat Pedro Taduran in the 8 rounds of fight via a unanimous decision.

In the undercards, the Roli Gasca and Jason Tinampay ended shortly for Gasca when he caught Tinampay with a right uppercut 1:13 in the first round for a KO decision as the referee stopped the fight.

The fights were under Pinoy Pride 43 billed as Battle in Bohol and brought by Ala Promotions and the City Government of Tagbilaran, Bohol. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)