By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Veteran 36 year old Bert Batawang showed he was back on track for possibly one more crack at the world light flyweight title by winning the World Boxing Organization belt with a stunning fourth round knockout over game Thai  KO artist Samransak Singmanassak at the Cebu Coliseum Saturday.

Batawang who was rocked by a left uppercut from Samransak in the opening round had to fight his way out of trouble before a crowd that included Filipino ring icon and WBC super featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao as well as IBF minimum weight champion Florante Condes to score his second stoppage since losing by a 9th round TKO to IBF champion Ulises Solis in Jalisco, Mexico last December 15, 2007.

The southpaw caught Samransak with a  thundering right hook at the end of a three-punch combination. Batawang nailed the Thai flush on the jaw with a perfectly-timed punch just as he was about to throw a right of his own. Referee Ben Necessario counted the Thai out at 37 seconds of the fourth round.

With the win Batawang who scored an impressive seventh round knockout  over rugged Indonesian Heri Amol last April 6 at the Araneta coliseum improved to 52-7 with 36 knockouts while Samransak dropped to 32-14-1 with 26 knockouts.

Another world title challenger Rodel Mayold who had also lost to Solis via an 8th round TKO in Rosemont, Illinois last August 4 and  then suffered a 4th round KO at the hands of undefeated Mexican Adrian Hernandez in Mexico City last February 9 also kept faith with well-known promoter Sammy Gello-ani who titled his Cebu promotion “Back  on Track” by  scoring a fifth round TKO over another game Thai Wisan Sor Suchanya.

Mayol who appeared tentative following back-to-back knockouts finally got going when he dropped Wisan in the second round of their scheduled ten round bout with a snappy left-right combination in round two and then snapped the Thai’s head back with a hard right hook.

Mayol watched intently by Pacquiao, his charming wife Jinkee who was acknowledged as the manager of Mayol by the ring announcer and Pacquiao’s friend and close confidant Rex “Wakee” Salud turned aggressive as the fight wore on and battered Wisan in round three.

But the Thai refused to back off and tried to engage Mayol whenever he could but the quickness of Mayol and his punching power proved too much forcing referee Teddy Alivio to call a halt at 2:42 of the fifth round.

Mayol improved to 24-3 with 19 knockouts while Wisan Sor Suchanya fell to 9-7-1 with 2 KO's.