By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Randy “Komong Bato” Suico once again demonstrated his tremendous punching power by scoring an eighth round knockout over game Indonesian challenger Muhammad Ibrahim Aroby to retain his Orient Pacific Boxing Federation title in Lapu Lapu City Saturday night to remain in contention for a possible world title fight.
Rated No. 2 by the World Boxing Council despite his controversial split decision loss to No. 1 ranked Mzonke Fana last May in Johannesburg in a world title eliminator, Suico may tangle with Fana in a rematch for the world title should reigning champion Erik Morales defeat Marco Antonio Barrera in their November 27 bout and decide to move up in weight as announced some months ago. With the prospect of a chance to avenge his loss to Fana despite decking him twice and having the South African in desperate straits in the final round, Suico took no chances against the lanky Aroby.
Suico’s manager, well known Japanese journalist and matchmaker Joe Koizumi said Suico caught Aroby with a short left hook flooring him in the corner midway in the second round. Suico dropped Arby again with an overhand right and although the Indonesian boxer’s glove touched the canvas the referee didn’t call a knockdown and waved the fighters on. Suico appeared “too eager to finish the fight in the fourth and fifth” rounds according to Koizumi even as Aroby fought back and caught the champion with a series of sharp punches which however, lacked power.
Suico recovered quickly and began to connect with stinging left jabs before a wicked right straight flush on the chin and the Indonesian challenger dropped to the canvas with a thud and wobbled to his feet and barely stood up at the count of nine but was in no shape to continue and Japanese referee Kazumasa Kuwata counted him out. Koizumi reported that despite Kuwata’s claim that he had “counted out” Aroby the Games and Amusements Board “saw that the referee had halted just after the count of nine without declaring ten and officially announced it was a TKO.”
