By Rey Danseco
ANOTHER fighter from the Philippines’ Cebu province has put the country in shame after losing by knockout in a championship fight abroad.
Gabriel Pumar, who wasn’t fought for 13 months, suffered a back-to-back knockout loss in South Africa. Unbeaten International Boxing Organization (IBO) minimumweight champion Nkosinathi Joyi stopped him in 29-seconds of the first round Friday night at Great Centenary Hall in Port Elizabeth.
The young fighter won his first bout in South Africa last year when he stopped Tsepho Lefele in the seventh round to win the WBC International minimumweight crown.
Pumar returned in September of last year and he failed to defend the belt against Zukisani Kwayiba as he lost by technical knockout due to a nasty cut over his left eye.
The Filipino fighter arrived in South Africa last Monday and he was more than four kilos over the weight limit when he tipped the scale 51.40 (113 lbs) in the pre-medical test.
On Thursday’s official weigh in, Pumar made the limit after he submitted 104 ¾ pounds while the African champion was exactly at 105-lb.
Joyi won the vacant crown with second round knockout win over a Cebu-trained fighter Arman dela Cruz in two rounds in November of last year at Emperors Palace Casino in Kempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa.