It ain't over for Julaton

MANILA, Philippines - The winds didn’t blow the Hurricane’s way in Mendoza, Argentina, last Friday night but Ana Julaton vowed to kick up a storm when she comes back from a stinging loss to hometown favorite Yesica Marcos in surrendering her WBO female superbantamweight title under partisan conditions.

Julaton, nicknamed “The Hurricane,” fought courageously in trying to retain her crown, engaging Marcos in fierce toe-to-toe exchanges. She’s not usually as aggressive. Julaton gained a reputation as a cerebral stylist in capturing the WBO 122-pound crown twice. But against Marcos, she went on a power attack that surprised even her handlers. The switch nearly paid off as Julaton floored Marcos with two left hooks to the jaw in the second round. Marcos got up from the knockdown and steadied herself to survive the assault.

“Ana fought the other girl’s fight unfortunately,” said Julaton’s Canadian promoter Allan Tremblay in a STAR interview. “She should have boxed from the outside and she would have had a relatively easy night but she got caught up in exchanges that favored Marcos’ style.”

After scoring the knockdown in the second round, Julaton readjusted her strategy and kept a safe distance away from Marcos to maximize her advantage in length using a jarring left jab in the third. Julaton wouldn’t allow Marcos to take the initiative and kept changing tactics, refocusing her attack to the body in the fourth. Puerto Rican referee Robert Ramirez Sr. warned Julaton for a low blow once then docked a point on a second infraction in the fifth. Ramirez’ intervention appeared to stymie Julaton’s momentum.

Tremblay said he had no issue against Ramirez. “We had no qualm with the referee but the scoring was not indicative of the closeness of the fight,” he said. Tremblay referred to the final scorecards of Hispanic judges Cesar Ramos, Jose Roberto Torres and Ignacio Robles. Ramos and Robles had it 98-92 for Marcos, giving Julaton only the second round because of the knockdown. Torres saw it 98-91. Ramos and Torres are from Puerto Rico and Robles from Panama. Tremblay had insisted on the WBO assigning neutral judges for the fight which was held in Marcos’ hometown.

There was no question that Marcos deserved the victory but the margin of difference in the judges’ scorecards was appalling. The STAR scored it 95-93 for Marcos who dominated the late rounds with an unforgiving work rate. Julaton launched a last-ditch bid to stem the tide in the ninth but couldn’t hold back Marcos who fought like a punching machine.

Tremblay said Julaton will take a two-week break then announce her plans for the future. There was no indication that Julaton will ask for a rematch in a neutral country but the speculation is she will. Julaton said she was never hurt by Marcos in the fight.

“The only thing hurt with Ana is her pride,” said Tremblay. “She will be back bigger and better than ever. Stay tuned.”

Julaton, 31, was pushed to the limit by Marcos, five years younger, and couldn’t cope with her busy style. As Tremblay observed, she was sucked into Marcos’ trap and fought the way the Argentinian liked. Julaton probably knew the only way she could win was by a knockout and that was why she threw caution to the wind and went for broke.

Before the fight, organizers led by promoter Osvaldo Rivero put on a fireworks display that greeted Marcos entering the ring. The celebration started even before the fight began and set an ominous tone for Julaton.

The loss snapped Julaton’s streak of four straight wins. Marcos raised her record to 19-0-1, with 6 KOs. The only stain in her boxing career was a split six-round draw with Ivonne Anahi Cordoba in Buenos Aires in 2009. The draw was called even as a judge saw it a shutout for Marcos. Julaton was busiest in her career in 2008 when she logged five fights. She turned pro in 2007, a year before Marcos, and now has a 10-3-1 record, with 1 KO.

Marcos’ win ended a streak of two Filipino victories over Argentinian opponents in the ring. Nonito Donaire Jr. outclassed Omar Narvaez in New York last October while Ormoc City’s Johnriel Casimero stopped Luis Lazarte in Mar del Plata a month ago. Previously, Argentinians had the better of Filipinos as Narvaez defeated Rexon Flores in 2006 and Juan Martin Coggi halted Morris East in 1993.