One more chance for Tunacao

MANILA, Philippines - Despite losing to unbeaten WBC bantamweight champion Shinsuke Yamanaka via a 12th round stoppage in Tokyo last Monday, Malcolm Tunacao isn’t giving up on his dream of someday becoming a two-time world champion.

Tunacao, 35, fought courageously in succumbing to Yamanaka, coming back from two knockdowns in the third round to push the Japanese to the brink before referee Michael Griffin of Canada stepped in at 1:57 of the final stanza. Yamanaka was ahead on the three judges scorecards when it ended as Duane Ford had it 105-102, Gale Van Hoy 106-102 and Jae Bong Kim 106-103. The closeness of the scores indicated it wasn’t one-sided even as Tunacao went down twice in the third.

Boxing Hall of Famer Joe Koizumi, watching at ringside, said it wasn’t an easy fight for Yamanaka and Tunacao “showed an amazing comeback from the bad knockdowns and regained his speed and rhythm to befuddle the champion.” Koizumi said Tunacao put up a gritty showing in the ninth, his best round, and pressured Yamanaka with right hooks. Koizumi mentioned he thought the fight would go the distance because of Tunacao’s resilience and retaliation. But in the fateful 12th, Tunacao was floored by a vicious left-right-left combination and barely beat the 10-count, prompting Griffin to wave it off.

Tunacao said a gaping cut over the right eye was opened in the sixth round and the blood that spewed from it curtailed his vision. “I couldn’t see,” said Tunacao in Pilipino. “I fought by instinct. I begged the referee not to stop the fight. I didn’t want to give up. I went down twice in the third. I was really groggy but I told myself if I want to become a two-time world champion, I had to get up.”

Tunacao said he never expected Yamanaka to load up with his right hook. “We’ve sparred before and he hardly used the right hook,” he continued. “I was surprised. That was what he did different. The right hook set up his left straight which is his most powerful punch. Yamanaka is a great champion, he’s never lost. But I wasn’t afraid. I fought back.”

Tunacao said his cutman Eriberto (Yukka) Gejon, a former fighter, attended to his wound. “The cut was under control but after a while, I got cut again, this time under the right eye so my face was full of blood,” he said. “I couldn’t see out of my right eye when I got hit in the 12th round and went down. I still wanted to continue, to finish the fight, but the referee stopped it. I’m so sorry I failed to win. I tried my best. I know I disappointed my countrymen.”

Tunacao was in tears when he spoke to The STAR on overseas telephone in his dressing room after the fight.   â€œI want to become a two-time world champion,” he said. “That’s still my dream. I want our countrymen to be happy. My manager (Masato Yamashita) told me he saw how I fought, that I didn’t want to give up even if I couldn’t see from my right eye. He promised to get me another title shot maybe against the WBO or IBF champion.”

Tunacao is rated No. 7 by the IBF whose bantamweight throne is vacant and No. 1 contender is 5-7 South African Vusi Malinga (21-4-1, with 12 KOs). He is ranked No. 15 by the WBO whose titleholder is Namibia’s unbeaten Paulus (The Rock) Ambunda (20-0, 10 KOs). Ambunda, 32, stands only 5-0 1/2 compared to Tunacao’s height of 5-5 1/2. Last March, Ambunda dethroned A. J. Banal’s tormentor Pungluang Sor Singyu of Thailand on a unanimous decision.

Tunacao said he would’ve come home from Tokyo this week with his girlfriend Grace who flew in from Cebu to witness the bout.  But with the loss, Tunacao decided to stay in Japan. Grace will return May 6.

“I know I’m 35 but I’m still strong,” said Tunacao. “I gave Yamanaka a tough fight. I’m inspired to go on by Brian Viloria who was in Tokyo with his wife (Erica) to watch the fight. He came to my dressing room before and after the fight. I really appreciate his encouragement. Brian told me not to give up, to train harder, that losing is part of boxing. He lost his world title before but came back stronger. He just lost his two world titles but promised to win them back.”

Based in Kobe the last three years, Tunacao had won his last 11 outings before bowing to Yamanaka. He reigned briefly as WBC flyweight champion and was knocked out in the first round by Pongsaklek Wonjongkam in his second defense in Thailand in 2001. Tunacao waited 12 years for a chance to win a second world crown. “My manager promised to give me one more chance,” he said. “That’s all I want. One more chance to become a two-time world champion.”

Yamanaka, 30, raised his record to 18-0-2 with 13 KOs, and chalked up his third consecutive defense after disposing of previous challengers Vic Darchinyan and Tomas Rojas. Tunacao’s mark fell to 32-3-3, with 20 KOs.