By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Richie Mepranum, the Philippines No.1 ranked flyweight lived up to his promise and the hopes of his hometown fans by winning the vacant WBO Oriental flyweight title with a lopsided twelve round decision over a game and durable Juma Seleman Fundi of Tanzania at the jampacked Maasim Municipal Stadium in picturesque Sarangani, Saturday.

Thousands more who couldn’t get tickets enjoyed the action on a large screen placed outside the venue by Mayor Jojo Lopez to whose stable Mepranum belongs.

Two of the judges including journalist Salven Lagumbay scored the fight 119-109 for Mepranum while the third judge had a shutout 120-108. Viva Sports which covered the title fight which was aired on the top-rated weekly boxing show “The Main Event” over IBC 13 at 9:00 p.m. last night sponsored by Tanduay, the No.1 Rhum and Pagcor also scored it 119-109 for the local boy.

The 21 year old Mepranum, one of the emerging stars of the stable of Mayor Lopez; started aggressively, maintained the tempo throughout and clearly out-boxed Fundi who failed to connect with his vaunted right except in round four when he caught Mepranum with a left jab and a hard right that momentarily stopped him in his tracks. It was the only round that Fundi won as Mepranum, despite giving away some two inches in height kept peppering the African  with stinging right straights and solid combinations to the body.

But Fundi who had trained for three months never buckled in the face of the consistent aggression of Mepranum who nailed him a couple of times but simply couldn’t put him away. In a final flourish in the last round Mepranum rocked the head of Fundi right back with a vicious left  but time ran out on him as the Tanzanian hung on to go the distance. It was Fundi’s first loss after seven wins, four by knockouts.

Mepranum who is almost certain to be elevated into the top fifteen of the WBO world rankings improved tom17-1-1 with 6 knockouts.

Among the fans watching the entertaining fight card were WBO vice president for Asia Leon Panoncillo who has continued to provide opportunities for young Filipino boxers to get ahead and Sarangani Governor Migs Dominguez and vice governor Steve Solon, two young local government executives who have turned Sarangani into a progressive province in Mindanao.