Slam-bang ‘Blow By Blow’ action

The rains were intermittent at Barangay Batasan Hills, Quezon City, last Friday but the weather was torrential inside the ring for 13 bouts on the seventh edition of eight-division world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao’s “Blow By Blow” series before a packed crowd in the Serbisyong Bayan Park. Ever since Pacquiao revived the TV show last November, “Blow By Blow” has become a Sunday night habit for fans and aficionados on Cignal TV’s OneSports Channel 41. Pacquiao was himself a “Blow By Blow” attraction as a novice in the mid-1990s and brought back the platform on its third iteration since 1994 as a showcase for promising boxers to display their wares.

With Pacquiao as promoter, “Blow By Blow” has been staged at the Mandaluyong City College, twice in Barangay Mauway (Mandaluyong), General Santos City, Okada Manila, Imus and Barangay Batasan Hills. San Juan and Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, are lined up to host future shows. Pacquiao’s idea is to bring boxing close to where the fans are around the country and open the doors for aspiring boxers to follow in his footsteps. In last Friday’s card, there were eight four-rounders, three debuting fighters and 10 with only one bout under their belt. The main event featured Noli James Maquilan against Perjohn Alipio in a tenner for the vacant Philippine Boxing Federation bantamweight title.

Maquilan, 21, got off to a rousing start and floored Alipio, 27, with a right straight flush on the jaw in the first round. Then, Maquilan, with one-time WBC flyweight title challenger Jonathan Peñalosa in his corner, grew impatient, looking for a homerun to finish off Alipio with one punch and it disrupted his rhythm. Alipio slowly crept back into contention as Maquilan missed wild haymakers. But as the fight wore on, Maquilan adjusted and reverted to overpowering Alipio with combinations. In the seventh, Alipio slowed down considerably. He was as tired as he was battered. Before the bell rang to open the eighth, referee Danrex Tapdasan went to Alipio’s corner and asked if he wanted to continue. Alipio gave his thumbs up but it didn’t look like he had enough gas in his tank to last. When action was resumed, Maquilan went for the kill, trapped Alipio along the ropes and dug a left hook to the side of the body to sink his defenseless opponent. Tapdasan counted Alipio out at 0:33 of the eighth. The win raised Maquilan’s record to 7-1, with four KOs.

In the co-main event, welterweight Antonio Siesmundo took the 10-count as he lost to unbeaten Ali Canega at 1:39 of the first round. Siesmundo, nicknamed Shotgun, hadn’t seen action since losing by stoppage to Jhun Carcedo in July last year. He took a glancing blow to the temple and a grazing left to the head on the way to the canvas. Neither punch seemed impactful yet Siesmundo failed to beat the count. He got up and even smiled away the embarrassment. There might be grounds for GAB to investigate Siesmundo for his apparent indiscretion.

In other fights, Dino Olivetti’s lightflyweight protégé Darwin Boyones scored a split eight-round decision over Erson Trinidad; lightweight Pepito Masangkay halted Johny Alipio at 0:44 of the second to improve to 5-0, with four KOs; featherweight Walkent Pucdol decked Mark Henry Escriber in the first and won by a majority six-round decision; lightflyweight Ringie Patrocenio stopped John Malatingan at 2:08 of the fourth; welterweights Dan Dacles and Brandon Lucas battled to a majority four-round draw; lightflyweight Eman Alajid stopped Edward Valcoba at 2:00 of the fourth; superfeatherweight Jojie Pacamalan marked his debut with a majority four-round decision over Eddie Alcoba; flyweight Christian Legane blasted Mark Santiago into submission at 2:19 of the second; lightflyweight Ambrosio (Little Manny) Solivares beat Jake Rosal by a split four-round verdict; superflyweight Zillo Duyogan defeated Rhei John Gidor by a majority four-round decision and lightflyweight Ernie Samoyag stopped Jay Duerme at 0:24 of the fourth.