By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Panama’s WBA bantamweight champion Anselmo “Chemito” Moreno has successfully defended his title with a lopsided unanimous twelve round decision over Filipino challenger Rolly “Matsushita” Lunas.

In a dispatch from Panama , passionate boxing fan and reporter Carlos Costa said Moreno was “simply too fast, too smart and too accurate for the courageous Filipino fighter.”

Costa who often visits the Philippines and travels around the world to watch some of the big or interesting fights said there were no knockdowns during the bout although Moreno dominated on the scorecards of all three judges.

One judge scored a 120-108 shutout, a second judge had Moreno winning by a 1i8-108 margin and the third by 119-109. The referee was Manuel Rodriguez and the judges Enrique Portocarrero, Alfredo Polanco and Rafael Hernandez.

With the win Moreno improved to 24-1-1 with 8 knockouts while Lunas dropped to 25-7-1 with 14 knockouts.

The title fight was held at the Centro de Convenciones Figali off the historic Panama canal.

It was Moreno’s second title defense of the title he won from undefeated Ukraine champion Wladimir Sidorenko (21-1-2) in Dusseldorf, Germany last May 31.

Despite the loss, Lunas who remains the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation champion won the respect of the champion as well as the Panamanian fans for his fighting heart. Moreno , in a post-fight interview with the media said “the Filipino is strong.”

It was the fourth world title fight in which a Panamanian had beaten a Filipino. Most recently Rafael “El Torito” Concepcion scored a stunning 10th round KO victory over AJ “Bazooka” Banal in a WBA super flyweight interim title fight in Cebu City last July 26.

Costa reported that Panamanian fight fans were “delighted to have a Filipino fighter competing in their country as most Panamanians appreciate the sportsmanship and prestige of Filipino boxers.”

Costa said this explains why a large number of Panamanian fans, including the legendary Roberto Duran favor Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao in his upcoming December 6 fight with boxing’s golden boy Oscar de la Hoya. 

He said another popular figure in Panama is WBO bantamweight king and two division world champion Gerry Penalosa.