Tañamor, Payla score but Lerio falls

Puerto Princesa, Palawan — Team Philippines’ Harry Tañamor and Violito Payla gained easy victories yesterday to jumpstart their Olympic bids but Arlan Lerio fell by the wayside in Day 2 of the 22nd Asian Boxing Championship at the Puerto Princesa Coliseum here.

Unleashing a barrage of solid 1-2 combinations, Tañamor 25, overpowered Faizal Altanak of Kuwait 52 seconds gone in the second round to score a Referee Stopped Contest-Outscored (RSC-OS) win, a new rule handing a win to a boxer who leads by 20 points.

The 24-year-old Payla, on the other hand, was 34 seconds slower in smashing a hapless Nhothin Holapa Tipone of Laos via a second round Referee Stopped Contest-Compulsary Count Limit (RSC-CCL) victory.

"Alam ko na hindi siya tatagal," said the soft-spoken Tañamor, the country’s lone gold medallist in last year’s Hanoi Southeast Asian Games and a silver medal winner in the 2002 Busan Asiad who thanked Army Commanding Officer Manuel Marcon.

In what could be his last crack at Olympic Games, Sydney Olympics veteran Lerio was swept by the Kazakhstan juggernaut, losing a heartbreaking 19-20 decision to Almuz Assanov.

Tañamor’s next foe is China’s Zou Shiming, his conqueror in the World Championships in Thailand last year. Zou, who won that Thailand meet, defeated Toshiyuki Igakashi of Japan earlier.

Like Tanamor, Payla was merciless.

After sizing up his foe in the opening round, the Cagayan de Oro City native unleashed his wrath as he downed Tipone twice with solid right straights for a pair of standing eight counts before a thundering 1-2 punch finished off the Laotian a minute and 26 seconds gone by the second round.

Next foe for Payla is Kanat Abutalipov of the dread Kazakhstan team. Abutalipov bashed his South Korean foe to arrange a duel with the Filipino.

"Hindi na masama," said RP head coach George Caliwan, whose other wards — Florencio Ferrer and Francis Joven — are battling separate rivals at presstime.

Tañamor and Payla’s wins came on the heels of Romeo Brin’s surprise victory late Monday when the veteran campaigner came out of retirement to stun Southeast Asian Games champion Manus Boonjumnong of Thailand in their light welterweight duel.

A last-minute entry last after original entry Mark Jason Melligen backed out due to fever, the 30-year-old Brin whipped Boonjumnong, 17-7, and advanced to the quarterfinals of the week-long meet organized by Palawan Gov. Joel Reyes, Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn and held under the auspices of ABAP, headed by boxing chief Manny Lopez.

Brin apparently caught Boonjumnong by surprise as the Thai champion was expecting to repeat over Melligen, whom he beat in the finals of the Hanoi SEAG.

Brin immediately went to work by rocking the taller Boonjumnong with 1-2 combinations but it was in the second round where the coach of the Puerto Princesa boxing squad unleashed thundering right crosses that staggered the Thai twice.

"Nung tumama na ako sa second round, dun na nawala "yung kumpiyansa niya," said Brin, whose last tournament was in the 2002 Busan Asian Games. "Pero hindi rin siya basta-basta, malakas din. Medyo nabingi nga ako nung tinamaan ako sa tenga."

But Brin, who saw action in the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Olympics, will have his hands full in the next round against fancied Nurza Kazymzhanov of powerhouse Kazakhstan, winner of two Olympic golds in Sydney. The Kazak smothered Korean Jae-Kwang Cha, 25-7, to set up a quarterfinal meeting with the Filipino Army staff sergeant.

Earlier, Navyman Junard Ladon bested Iraqi Jassim Meshall with a third round RSC-I (due to injury) win to open the country’s bid in this week-long event serving as the first of three Asian qualifiers for this year’s Olympics.

Not as fortunate as Ladon and Brin on opening day was Maraon Golez, who fell to Nodir Gulanov of Uzbekistan in a 16-5 decision in their middleweight bout.

BOXING NOTES: Unknown to many, Brin didn’t only rely on his experience. He also had inspiration. "Ginawa ko ito hindi lang dahil sa hinanahanap-hanap ng katawan ko ang boxing. Ito’y para sa pamilya ko," said Brin referring to wife Ofelia, a high school teacher here, and seven-year-old son Romeo, Jr. The veteran is also expecting a baby from two month pregnant Ofelia. "Siguro dun ko din nakuha ang suwerte ko bukod pa sa inspirasyon na binigay nila sa akin."

Some 6,000 local folks, led by avid boxing fan Palawan Gov. Joel Reyes, also had some share of giving Brin, a son of the province, the needed boost as they cheered wildly for the Filipino pug. Reyes even jumped and raised his right fist after the tournament barker announced Brin had won. It was like pandemonium at the Puerto Princesa Coliseum as if Brin had already topped his division even before he enters the ring against his next foe–favorite Nurza Kazymzhanov of Kazakhstan.