By Rey Danseco
MANNY Pacquiao’s recent Filipino sparring partners became two of the country’s four newest champions.
Aaron Melgarejo dethroned Dodie Boy Agrabio for the Philippine super featherweight title with a majority decision over 12 rounds at the “Battle For Supremacy II” card on a rainy Wednesday evening at the parking lot of the Mall of Asia in Pasay City, Manila, Philippines.
“Thanks our sacrifices has paid off,” said Melgarejo’s uncle-trainer Dino Olivetti, himself a former Philippine champion in super bantamweight.
Melgarejo, a third generation of Filipino boxing champion from Binan in Laguna, was effective with his combinations and counter punches over the bull-like Agrabio.
Two judges awarded a 115-113 and 116-112 decision in favor of the taller challenger to claim the crown. The third official saw the fight 115-115 even.
The fight was a May 05 rematch of their fight at the Bantug Pagasa Gym in Munoz, Nueva Ecija. The bout ruled out technical draw in the second round when Agrabio suffered a bad cut.
Arnel Tinampay took the vacant Philippine welterweight crown with impressive unanimous decision win over former holder of the crown Dondon Sultan.
Tinampay wisely used the spaces of the ring and often boxing his way out of Sultan’s aggressive style going to claim the judges’ nod with 118-110 on two scorecards and 120-108 in the third.
Melgarejo and Tinampay served as Pacquiao’s sparring partners in Cebu in October when Pacman was going to fight Marco Antonio Barrera last Oct. 6 in Las Vegas. Pacquiao beat Barrera with a unanimous decision.
Melgarejo also helped “Pacman” in his tactical training in Davao City for his fight against Mexico’s Jorge Solis on April 14 in San Antonio, Texas. Pacquiao won the fight by 8th round KO.
In other results, Mandaluyong’s Jun Talape wrested the Philippine super bantamweight belt from champion Jake Verano of Valencia City over 12 round and tough rounds.
Talape, who cut Verano badly over the right eye, took the judges’ favor with 116-111 twice and 117-110.
Balweg Bangoyan scored a knockdown in the ninth round over Elpher Paganpan to take a unanimous decision win over 10 round to claim the Philippine Boxing Federation super bantamweight crown.
In the main event, a cut from accidental headbutt over Japanese Ryu Miyagi with former world title challenger Jimrex Jaca forced the ring physician to advise the referee to stop the fight at 2:36 of the first round.
Miyagi had a vertical gash at center of his forehead. The official decision was a technical draw, the same verdict of their first bout on Aug. 25 at the same venue when Jaca took a bad cut from the same incident in the second round.
Lightweight Juan Martin “Bai” Elorde, grandson of Filipino legend Gabriel “Flash” Elorde, improved his record to 5-0 with one knockout after he earned a majority four round decision over Glen Mondol (0-2).
