Nicaraguan halts Petalcorin in 7th

MANILA, Philippines — Heavy-handed Nicaraguan Felix Alvarado gave Randy Petalcorin a beating last night, scoring a seventh-round technical knockout and disappointing the Pinoy crowd at the Midas Hotel.

The 29-year-old Alvarado sent Petalcorin down on his knees three times in the seventh round to win the vacant IBF light-flyweight crown.

“I wanted the crown. The tactic was to pressure him,” said Alvarado, who paid some price for the win as well, vomitting on his way to the dressing room.

Petalcorin came out strong in the opening round, and surprised his opponent. But the Nicaraguan, who ran the streets of Manila training days to the fight, took the shots.

Alvarado launched his own attack, and by the end of the second round, Petalcorin was spent, breathing heavily on his stool. As each round passed, he took more punishment even as he landed some shots of his own.

The crowd chanted Petalcorin’s name, and the 26-year-old Pinoy gave it all. He had the skills but not the stamina. In the seventh, he took heavy blows to the head and body, and was knocked down three times.

The end came in the 2:04 mark.

Alvarado, a streetfighter, improved to 34-2-0 with 30 knockouts while Petalcorin, who had hoped to become world champion, dropped to 29-3-1 with 22 knockouts.

In the main supporting bouts of the card presented by ESPN 5, Jade Bornea and Giemel Magramo thrilled the crowd by stopping their respective foes.

Bornea stretched his ring record to 13-0 by knocking out Macrea Gandionco in the fifth round of their 116 lb contest. The end came in the 2:38 mark.

Magramo, on the other hand, lived up to expectations by stopping Thailand’s Petchchorehae Kokietgym with a body shot in the 2:48 mark of the third.

Magramo remained as the WBO Oriental flyweight champion and improved his record to 22-1-0 with 18 knockouts.

Flyweight Dave “Doberman” Apolinario climbed the ring with one of his cornermen wearing a dog mask, and immediately connected with the fans.

Apolinario did not disppoint them, needing only 67 seconds to stop Joan Imperial, who really had nothing to offer against his rabid foe.