By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Bobby Pacquiao has snapped back from a humiliating first round knockout at the hands of undefeated Urbano Antillon last March 13 to score an eighth round KO of Thailand’s Decho Bankluaygim and win the WBO Oriental lightweight title Saturday night in Cebu City.

The younger brother of the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, WBC lightweight champion and Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao, used his left to advantage early in the fight and ended it with a cracking left to the chin that sent the Thai crashing to the canvas.

Pacquiao had earlier decked Bankluaygym in the sixth round but on occasions got tagged when he tried to slug it out with the Thai contender.

The 27 year old Pacquiao, nicknamed “The Sniper” improved to 29-14-3 with 14 knockouts while Bankluaygym who carries the nickname “The Lazy Boy” dropped to 28-11-2 with 19 knockouts.

Manny Pacquiao’s lanky sparring partner David Rodela knocked down lightweight Arnel Porras in the second round and finished him off with a hard left to the body which the referee ruled as a low blow in the third round. . Porras refused to continue,  giving Rodela his 10th win against 1 loss and 2 draws with 6 knockouts.

Rodela was coming off a fourth round knockout of undefeated Ramon Ayala last April 4. Porras who dropped to 9-15-3 with 4 knockouts suffered his fourth straight defeat.

In an Orient Pacific Boxing Federation bantamweight championship bout Rolly “Matsushita” Lunas scored a lopsided twelve round decision over Thailand’s Kaonah Khlongphajon to retain his title.

All three judges had Lunas the winner, 117-109, 118-109 and 116-112.