Pinoy streak in US bouts getting to be the trend

LAS VEGAS–There’s a hot streak going for Filipino boxers fighting here in the US.

Just four months after scoring three knockout wins on a single night, two Filipino boxers once again went unbeaten on the same ring Saturday. Manny Pacquiao, as expected, stood at the vanguard with his sensational 10th round knockout of Mexican ring hero Erik Morales at the Thomas and Mack Center.

Less than two hours earlier, Jimrex Jaca of Dumaguete, also fighting in the super featherweight class, knocked out Mexico’s Geronimo Hernandes in the first round.

Last Sept. 10, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Pacquiao also spearheaded a big onslaught by Filipino professional boxers.

Pacquiao stopped Mexico’s Hector Velasquez on the sixth round of their fight that served as a tuneup to his awaited rematch against Morales.

On that same night, Brian Viloria, a Filipino living in Hawaii, won the WBC lightflyweight crown by knocking out Mexico’s Eric Ortiz cold in the first round.

Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista, the young pride of Bohol, was the third Filipino boxer who won last Sept. 10 as he crushed Colombia’s Felix Flores in the third round.

Therefore, it’s five-for-five for Filipinos fighting here in the US in the last four rounds. Hopefully it would continue in the months or even years to come. — Abac Cordero