By Rey Danseco
YOUNG featherweight prospect Rey Labao remains unbeaten in 12 starts when he made Nigerian Bright Isaiah Sunday, his eight knockout victim Saturday night at the jam packed Mandaluyong City gymnasium in Mandaluyong City.
The Paranaque City-trained Labao stopped the former two-weight Nigerian amateur champion with one-hard left uppercut to the midsection. Sunday dropped to his knees and then his hands fell on the canvas for a few seconds as referee Ferdinand Estrella reached the full count at 2:03 of the fourth round.
With the win, the 22-year old Labao has solidified his top ranking position in the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) Asia Pacific featherweight title.
Sunday displayed a good counter-punching ability, but he felt the pain from Labao’s body punches and stinging combos. Sunday took his first defeat in eight outings with three knockouts as pro.
In the co-feature of Elorde International Productions' card that was supported by Mayor Boyet Gonzales, former Philippine featherweight champion Baby Lorona (40-20-5, 20 KOs) dominated over-the-hill 22-year-old Rodney “Jun” Alba (14-18-2, 3 KOs)
in their lightweight fight over 10 rounds.
Lorona, now ranked No. 1 Jr. Lightweight contender in the country, earned a well-deserved unanimous decision win, his second win in as many fights with Alba. The judges scored the bout 98-93, 99-91 and 98-92 all in favor of Lorona, who showed poor resilience despite Alba’s usually-telegraphic looping punches.
In round 6, Lorona pressed the action when he knew his manager Gabriel “Bebot” Elorde Jr. joined his 4-man corner crew. He started to push the exhausted and leaning short foe to the rope to unleash his right straights until he staggered him in the dying seconds.
Alba, who used to overmatch fights in Thailand, fought his survival until the final bell with punch-lean-and-tied tactics. He also lost to Lorona on December 10, 2005 in Antipolo City.
Former Philippine Boxing Federation super flyweight champ Jun Talape (13-4, 5 KOs), super bantam Raymond Sermona (5-0-2, 4 KOs), super flyweight Ronquillo Salvador all won with a unanimous decision while unbeaten flyweight prospect Draian Francisco (8-0, 5 KOs) and super bantam Dexter Mendoza (7-1-2, 1 KO) scored the other stoppage wins in the card against separated foes.
Talape, a native of Abra, won over fellow southpaw Mark Sales. Two judges Manuel Feliciano and Henry Verniz saw it 97-93 for Talape while the third official, Salvador Lopez surprisingly gave a differently score 99-91 also for Talape.
Sermona won over Mandaluyong’s Jonathan Martos as judges saw the fight 58-55, 57-56 and 57-56. Ronquillo out pointed JR Molina.
Francisco, a protégée of former two-time world champ Erbito Salavarria, sent Jongjong Gagante’s mouthpiece out of the ring in the first round, scored a knockdown with right straights to the jaw in the third.
In the sixth, another right hand punch staggered and busted Gagante’s nose where blood flowed profusely. A well-timed combination of punches to the body sent the wobbling Gagante again and the referee stopped the carnage at 15 seconds mark of round 7.
Mendoza from Zambales scored a knockdown in early round and finished previously unbeaten Benjie Aceron (3-1) with left hook to the body at 28 seconds of round 4.
