Marvin Mabait Continues His Streak of Knockout Wins

By Cliff Rold

25-year old Bantamweight Marvin Mabait (19-1-2, 13 KO) of Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines wasted no time in scoring his third straight knockout on Friday night at the Jose Cuervo Salon in Polanco, Distrito Federal, Mexico, nailing 24 year old Johnny Garcia (18-5-1, 9 KO) of Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico inside the first minute for the count.  The bout was contested for a minor WBO belt.  Both men weighed in at the division limit of 118.

The southpaw Mabait started with a pawing right jab and a long, missing right to the body.  Both men attempted jabs and a Mabait combination attempt led to a tie up inside.  A pushing right to the head knocked Garcia off balance before a left to the body was blocked.  Mabait missed on a pair of rights but Garcia stayed in range as the Filipino continued to load up power shots. 

A left to the temple and right hand between the eyes landed and Garcia went down in a crumple, laying back with his hands over his face and an expression of pain.  His motions indicated he may have broken his nose and he never even attempted to rise to beat the count, remaining on the deck for a protracted time as cornermen and the ring doctor entered to take a look.  The official time of the stoppage was :53 second of the first round. 

Mabait’s lone defeat came in April 2012, a third round stoppage at the hands of then-undefeated countryman Marco Demecillo.  The loss is Garcia’s fourth inside the distance and first since a failed 115 lb. title attempt against WBO titlist Omar Narvaez.

Mabait entered the bout rated #10 by the WBO.  The current WBO titlist at 118 lbs. is Japan’s Tomoki Kameda (28-0, 18 KO).

In subsequent Bantamweight action, 22-year old Iran Diaz (6-0-2, 2 KO), 116, of Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico, won a six-round split decision over 25-year old Angel Aguilar (7-8, 1 KO), 118, of Mexico City, Mexico.  Scores were not fully conveyed via the televised broadcast.

At Jr. Featherweight, 19-year old Gabriel Acosta (3-0, 2 KO), 121, of Distrito Federal, Mexico scored a unanimous decision over four rounds versus 16-year old Antonio Lopez (3-2), 122, of La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.  Score were identical at 39-36 across the board.

In Jr. Lightweight action, 21-year old Irvin Marin (3-1, 1 KO), 130, won a unanimous decision over 19-year old Fernando Perez (record unavailable), 130.  Marin scored a knockdown in the first on a short right hand and Perez would suffer the affects of a hard clash of heads later in the round.  Perez rose and fought gamely to last the distance over four rounds.  Marin was awarded the decision by scores of 39-36 and 38-36 twice.     

In the final televised bout, 20-year old Lightweight Antonio Moran (11-0, 6 KO), 136, of Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico, scored a first round stoppage of 27-year old Oscar Conde (3-7, 2 KO), 134, of Distrito Federal, Mexico.  Moran scored a knockdown late in the first with a long, flush right hand.  Conde beat the count but set himself up for a lacing with the bout inside the final thirty seconds of the frame.  Bashing Conde with rights to the head, then lefts to the body, and then whatever he could land with both hands, Moran forced a referee’s stoppage with just three seconds left in the round.

The card was broadcast in the US on Telemundo, promoted by Tuto Zabala, Jr. All Star Boxing in association with Ricardo Maldonado Jr-Producciones Deportivas.

Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene and a member of the Transnational Boxing Ratings Board and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com