Randy Petalcorin insists foul blows cramped style

MANILA, Philippines — Abandoning a plan to hit and run, Randy Petalcorin threw caution to the wind as he fought Nicaraguan knockout artist Felix Alvarado head on from the start then blamed foul blows that caused his thighs to cramp in losing by a seventh round stoppage at the Midas Hotel and Casino tent in Pasay last Monday night.

Petalcorin went down thrice from body shots before Pittsburgh referee Ernie Sharif waved it off at the 2:04 mark.  Alvarado then sank to his knees in the middle of the ring and cried to celebrate bagging the vacant IBF lightflyweight crown. Petalcorin said he wanted to continue fighting but his legs wouldn’t listen.

Former two-division world champion Gerry Peñalosa, watching at ringside, said Petalcorin gassed out. He suspected Petalcorin had overtrained because by the third round, his mouth was wide open, gasping for air. Petalcorin admitted he sparred over 110 rounds in three months of training for Alvarado but insisted if not for the low blows on his thighs, he wouldn’t have cramped. After the fight, Petalcorin limped back to his dressing room, his head bowed. He asked forgiveness and patience from fans who expected another Filipino to become a world champion. 

Petalcorin claimed Alvarado deliberately hit his thighs to keep him from moving. Australian promoter and Petalcorin’s co-manager Peter Maniatis pointed an accusing finger at Sharif for tolerating the low blows. “I’m disgusted,” he said. “The referee could’ve done a better job. I don’t usually slam my fist on the ring apron but I did during the fight. It’s not over for Randy. After a rest, I’ll get him a shot at a regional championship then an interim title. I promise he’ll still be a world champion someday.”

Petalcorin’s other co-manager J. C. Manangquil of General Santos City’s Sanman stable couldn’t understand why he strayed from the fight plan. “Maybe, he got carried away by the crowd,” he said. “He was supposed to box and move. It reminded me of A. J. Banal who lost twice by knockout in world title fights in the Philippines. I don’t really know what happened. I’m at a loss. It looked like Randy went for an early knockout and you don’t do that against a dangerous puncher like Alvarado.”

Matchmaker Sean Gibbons, watching on ESPN+ via livestream in Los Angeles, said Petalcorin fought like a heavy bag and Alvarado had a heyday teeing off. The tactical fight that Petalcorin trained for didn’t happen. “When you stand right in front of a guy who can punch and throw many bombs, it adds up quickly,” he said. Petalcorin stood his ground until the sixth round when he began to falter. In the seventh, he had little left and a shot to the side of the body sent him down for the first count. Petalcorin got up but fell twice more before Sharif halted the carnage.

Alvarado was ahead in two of the three judges scorecards when it ended. Judges Alejandro Lopez of Mexico and Michael Alexander of England saw it 58-56 for the Nicaraguan while Filipino judge Silvestre Abainza scored it 58-56 for Petalcorin. The only rounds where the three judges concurred were the third which Petalcorin took and the fourth which went to Alvarado.

For the Nicaraguan, the only option was to score a knockout. “My plan was to pressure Petalcorin all the way,” he said in Spanish. “It was his house so I didn’t want to let it go to a decision. I did this for my country and it’s an honor to join legends like Alexis Arguello, Chocolatito Gonzalez and Ricardo Mayorga as world champions from Nicaragua.” There was a slight commotion after the fight when Alvarado refused to submit a urine sample for a drug test unless it was done in front of title fight supervisor Ben Keilty of Australia. But Maniatis and GAB officials eventually prevailed on Alvarado to do it even without Keilty as witness.