By Rey Danseco
 
THREE-TIME Philippine champion Jimrex Jaca registered an impressive United States debut when he knocked out Mexican Geronimo Hernandez on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao-Erik Morales return bout on Saturday night at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The 22-year old native of Sibulan, Negros Oriental floored Hernandez twice, forcing referee Joe Cortez to stop the carnage at two minutes 46 seconds of the very first of scheduled 8-round super featherweight bout.

Jaca’s left hand punch rocked his 31-year old foe, dropped on his side and then lied down flat on his back at the canvas.

Fighting under the guidance of Cebu City’s Rex “Wakee” Salud who watched the fight at ringside, Jaca is the reigning Philippine super featherweight champion. He captured the national 130-lb title that was vacated by Bobby Pacquiao with a second round technical knockout of veteran Samuel Duran on November 25 in Maasin City.

Jaca, who stands 5-foot-7, once held the Philippine titles in bantamweight and super bantamweight division. He also a former Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) super bantamweight champion.

Jaca improved to 25-1, 12 knockouts. It was his third win in his last four bouts, including a draw, since he was stripped of the OPBF diadem when he failed to make the weight limit and lost on 7th round knockout to Japanese challenger Yasuo Kunimi on May 30, 2004 in Kanazawa, Japan. The Japanese dropped Jaca twice in the bout.

The 31-year old Hernandez fell to 12-15-1, 4 KOs.