Cebuano boxers Suico and Tuñacao keep OPBF

Cebuano boxers Randy "Kumong Bato" Suico and Malcolm "Eagle Eye" Tuñacao retained their respective Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) titles in contrasting fashion yesterday at the International Conference Hall in Nagoya, Japan.

Suico scored a fourth round technical knockout win over Ryuhei Sugita to keep his OPBF super featherweight crown, while Tuñacao fought to a split draw with Kohei Ohba, but still it was enough for him to go home with his OPBF bantamweight belt still strapped on his waist. Sugita and Ohba are both Japenese.

In defending for the sixth time the title he won by stopping Korean Sung-Ho Yuh in 2002, the 26-year-old Suico also improved his win-loss-draw record to 24-2 now embellished with 21 knockouts.

Suico somehow also scored a sweet redemption after losing to ex-IBF lightweight champion Javier Jaurequi of Mexico in his previous fight in September last year in the US.

Tuñacao, on the other hand, retained his OPBF throne in different fashion - a draw verdict with Ohba.

Australian judge had Tuñacao the winner by the narrowest of margin, 115-114, while Japanese judge penned it 115-113 for Ohba. Surprisingly, Filipino judge called it a 115-115 draw.

Nevertheless, Tuñacao still had his crown as international boxing rules stipulate that in the event of a draw, the champion keeps his title.

It was Tuñacao's third draw in 23 fights that include 19 wins - 13 via stoppage - and one loss.

The Mandaue City-native ring gladiators actually scored a three-peat as their townmate Rodel "Batang Mandaue" Mayol last week pulled a historic win in Mexico's heartland, knocking out Mexican Lorenzo "Explosivo" Trejo in the fourth round in their WBC minimumweight elimination bout at the Plaza del Toros in Cancun.