The PBF Has Three New Champions

By Rey Danseco

BAGUIO City - Philippine Boxing Federation (PBF) has three new champions.

Welterweight Jun Paderna and junior flyweight Larry Mede captured vacant titles in their respective divisions while junior bantamweight Edgar Gabihan dethroned Jun Talape in the triple main event card on Saturday at the Baguio Convention Center.

The shorter Paderna (10-4-1, 5 KOs) started slow but started to pick up the pace in the middle rounds to earn a unanimous decision win against La Union’s Rolly Laruan (10-6, 5 KOs) in their 10-round title bout.

Judges Ricardo Canlas, Virgilio Garcia at Virgilio delos Reyes had it 99-92, 98-92 all in favor of the 22-year old native of the town of Pigcawayan in North Cotabato.

Another underdog from La Trinidad, Mede (13-8-5, 1 KO) upset the Cavite-based southpaw Alfred Nagal (16-13-2, 9 KOs) with comfortable unanimous decision with final tallies 97-92, 97-91 and 99-91 from three scorecards.

Gabihan (8-9, 3 KOs) picked himself up from the canvass in the fifth round and dominate most of the remaining rounds and earned a unanimous but close decision over erstwhile champ Jun Talape (11-3, 6 KOs) of Abra.

The judges saw it 95-94 (Canlas), 96-95 (Eddie Nobleza) and 96-94 (Delos Reyes) all for Gabihan, a native of La Trinida, Benguet.

The boxing event, the third promotions this year of Baguio City councilor Rufino “Raffy” Panagan in cooperation of Elorde International Productions, will be shown by Elorde Boxing Special from 8-9 p.m every Thursday over IBC 13.

UNDERCARD RESULTS

Leandro dela Cruz (1-1, 1 KO) scored a knockdown in the 3rd round to earn a split decision win after four rounds in his flyweight fight against debutant and substitute Mark Vito (0-1), a Bacolod City-born stablemate of Nagal.

Super bantam Denver Hilario (1-0, 1 KO) was successful in his debut when he forced ref Virgilio Abainza to interfer at 1:02 of the opening round while he was pummeling Noel Olangacay (0-2) after he scored two knockdowns.

Featherweights Amor Tino and Dennis Geraldo also both become 1-0 after successfully taking a majority decision win against separate foe.

Tino prevented Mike Tumbaga (0-2) to taste victory while Geraldo overcame previously undefeated Johnson Badeng (2-1-1).

Flyweight Edwin Tumbaga (1-1-1) forced to quit another newcomer Noel Saxon Badeng (0-1) with incessant body shots at 2:43 in the first heat while flyweight Javier Malulan (3-0, 3 KOs) remained undefeated after he TKOed John Naimes (0-1-2) with hard left hand punch at 1:42 of the first round.