By Rey Danseco
FILIPINO Jaime Barcelona failed to make a big leap into the international limelight after he went down thrice and absorbed a technical knockout loss in a World Boxing Organization (WBO) Asia Pacific featherweight title fight.
The gutsy 28-year old orthodox puncher from Bukidnon gave everything in the fight but world rated Terdsak Jandaeng floored him down thrice en route to a TKO loss at 57 seconds of the 9th of scheduled 12-round title fight, Tuesday at City Hall Ground in Nakornrachasima, Thailand.
Barcelona, who is rated No. 1 in the Philippines and No. 7 in WBO Asia Pacific, visited the canvas in round two and four and finally saved from further punishment by the referee when he was on the floor after absorbing vicious shots in the ninth round.
Jandaeng, WBO world rated No. 7, reclaimed the title he vacated after losing in his previous fight in a WBO featherweight title eliminator against former WBO super bantam king Joan “Little Tyson” Guzman of Dominican Republic in New York on Aug. 26.
The Thai champ improved to 19-1 win-loss records with 14 knockouts while Barcelona dropped to 20-26-1, 6 KOs.
With the defeat, the Philippines remain it's champion in the WBO Asia Pacific with three. They are undefeated bantamweight Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista, flyweight Rexon Flores, who are both highly WBO world rated, and newly crowned minimumweight Benjie Sorolla.
On the undercard, veteran fighter Edwin Gastador, a native of Borbon town in Cebu and fighting out of Edison Hernandez Stable, lasted for only three rounds in a non-title fight against undefeated young Thai figher Nungpichit Sithyodthong.
