It was an impressive day for the Philippines in Top Rank’s “Ring of Gold” fight card in the Cotai Arena at the Venetian Hotel in Macau, China yesterday.
All three Filipino boxers won impressively and showed to the world that Filipinos are really world-class boxers.
Former world super flyweight champion Marvin Sonsona made an impressive comeback with a one punch, 3rd round knockout win over former world super bantamweight champion and No. 2 ranked featherweight Akifumi Shimoda.
The 23 year old Sonsona sized up the world No.2 ranked featherweight Shimoda before setting him up with a right straight and then unleashes a vicious, perfectly timed left uppercut that sent Shimoda crashing on his back to the canvas where he lay still for some five minutes before attending ring doctors helped him to his corner.
Two other promising Filipinos fighting under the banner of MP Promotions also scored scintillating wins.
Super featherweight Harmonito DeLa Torre (12-0, 7 KO’s) nailed Indonesia’s Yakobus Heluka (7-6, 3 KO’s) with an explosive right to the jaw at 2:17 of the very first round.
While, super flyweight prospect Jerwin Ancajas (17-1-1, 10 KO’s) demolished Inthanon Sitchamuang (19-7, 10 KO’s) , also dropping the Thai in the first round and then flooring him at 1:30 of the second round forcing the referee to halt the fight.
Even trainer Aljoe Jaro who handles Hong Kong’s Rex Tso was a big winner.
The Filipino trainer, promoter and former boxer was obviously delighted with the impressive showing of Tso in his third appearance at the Venetian Resort Hotel and Casino in Macau.
The Hong Kong based fighter added the vacant WBO Asia Pacific super flyweight title to his WBC Asia Continental junior bantamweight crown.
Encouraged by Aljoe Jaro, Tso hammered a gallant Japanese Mako Matsuyama en route to an 8th round stoppage when his corner asked the referee to end the bout at 1:27 of the round.
The Japanese obviously didn’t show any fear as he overcame a battering from the fast-punching Tso who nailed Matsuyama with a variety of shots to the head and body that is expected to take its toll sooner or later.
Tso is a talented super flyweight who appears to have honed his skills and added power while being trained by Aljoe Jaro. He dropped Matsuyama in the 2nd round and didn’t ease up in his brutal attack which had Matsuyama on the verge of a knockout in rounds six and seven.
A dead tired Matsuyama went down when Tso caught him with a right straight and a hard left. His corner throws in the towel after the Japanese was caught by six straight punches to the head.
Tso improved to 9-0 with 6 knockouts while Matsuyama dropped to 7-8-1 with 3 knockouts.
In the main event, two-time Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming scored a final knockout blow on Yokthong Kokietgym of Thailand in the 7th round to earn his first knockout victory after 4 professional fights.
Shiming,who is a protege of the famed Coach Freddie Roach, sent Kokietgym two times earlier in the round for an impressive win.
— with reports from Philboxing.com
