Banal turns tough test into easy demolition job

CEBU, Philippines - What was expected to be a tough test in preparation for another world title shot turned out to b e an easy demolition job for AJ "Bazooka" Banal as he needed only a single round to finish off Mexican Raul "El Bule" Hidalgo and retain his WBO Asia-Pacific bantamweight title in the main event of the "Pinoy Pride XIII:Road to Glory" last Saturday night at the full-packed Pacific grand ballroom of Waterfront-Cebu City Hotel and Casino.

Banal was just starting to heat up when he landed a picture-perfect left hook to the chin that wobbled Hidalgo late in the opening session.

As international referee Joseph Danrex Tapdasan stepped in between the two fighters, a visibly dazed and groggy Mexican kept on punching with his head down and his body trembling, prompting Tapdasan to wisely wave off the bout to prevent the Mexican from further harm. The official time was 2:29 of the very first round.

"The boxer (Hidalgo) was already trembling. He was not down, but you can see that his knees were not stable. He could no longer look straight and he doesn't know who is in front of him," said Tapdasan, a lawyer by profession, in defending his decision that drew mixed reactions from fans.

"The entertainment side [of boxing] will have to take a backseat at that point. What is more important to me is to protect and safeguard the welfare of the boxer. I could have put him in a dangerous situation had I decided to let him continue," added Tapdasan.

For his part, ALA Boxing Gym big boss Antonio "Bidoy" L. Aldeguer felt the stoppage was 'too premature' but said the referee can't be blamed for doing his job.

"As a fan and a promoter, it was too premature to stop the fight. I don't know the rules, but he (Tapdasan) should have given him a mandatory eight count," said Aldeguer. "But objectively as a referee, he did what was right."

ALA Promotions President and CEO Michael P. Aldeguer echoed his father's sentiment. "The referee should have prolonged it a bit, but we can't blame him anyway for doing what he has to do," said the younger Aldeguer.

For the 23-year-old Banal, he doesn't mind the short span of time by which he scored the victory so long as he make his fans happy.

"A win for me is a win, whether by early stoppage or decision. It's doesn't matter for me what others may think as long as I was able to make my fans happy," said Banal, who improved his record to 27-1-1 now packed with 20KOs. Hidalgo slipped to 16-6 (12KOs).

Asked if he's ready for another crack at the world title, Banal quickly replied:"I am ready anytime. That's what I've been waiting for. If opportunity comes, I'm willing to take the challenge."

Aldeguer said they are still waiting as of the moment for the decision of WBO bantamweight champion Jorge "Travieso" Arce, who is set to see action in the undercard of Manny Pacquiao-Tim Bradley showdown on June 9 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"We're just waiting for the decision of Arce. He is scheduled to fight in the undercard of Pacquiao and we don't know yet whether he will defend his WBO title or move up in weight. Only until such time he can come up with a decision that we can make our next move for Banal," said Aldeguer.

He assured though that Banal will definitely fight for a world title within the year. "That's one thing for sure. But we have to keep Banal busy especially that this bout (vs. Hidalgo) ended too early," added Aldeguer.

In the supporting main event, OPBF flyweight champion Rocky "The Road Warrior" Fuentes pulled off spectacular wins in the same with with his undefeated ALA stablemates Albert "Prince" Pagara and Arthur "El Matador" Villanueva.

Fuentes (33-6-2, 20KOs) passed his first test against a Mexican opponent with flying colors, scoring two knockdowns before finally putting the lights off Franco "El Chivero" Javier at 52 seconds of the sixth round.

Fuentes floored Javier in rounds three and six, with the Mexican quickly getting up in both occasions. A few second after he beat the count in round six, however, Javier was sent flat into the mat for good by Fuentes with a powerful right hook to the head.

Pagara (11-0, 9KOs), on the other hand, let loose a big right shot to the jaw that sent Thai Phupha Por Nobnom (10-8, 9KOs) into a nightmarish sleep at 2:38 of the second round, while Villanueva (18-0, 12KOs) escaped with a unanimous decision victory over a very game Rey Migreño (15-19-3, 13KOs) of La Trinidad, Benguet in the most entertaining and well-applauded bout of the evening.

Villanueva was dominant in the first four rounds, only to ran out of gas in the remaining half of the scheduled eight-round bout. Migreño took the opportunity to stage a daring counter-attack to the delight of spectators.

Though he fell short in the end, Migreño drew a warm applause from the very appreciative crowd for his resiliency and big fighting heart. - THE FREEMAN