Boxing In Asia: Weekend Results

ByBruce Dingo

We start this weekend’s Asia report with a good show at the Coliseum in boxing mad Cebu City, Philippines where it was title fight fury in the lower weights on Saturday night.

The main event saw Rafael “El Torito” Concepcion, 11-2-1 (7), turn a maiden voyage outside his native Panama into a successful Philippines excursion by putting the first loss onto the record of local hero AJ “Bazooka” Banal, 17-1-1 (14), and win the Interim WBA Super Flyweight title in the process.

In a thrilling battle of southpaws, the stakes were raised considerably in the ninth when Banal lost a point for straying low but the real action took place in the tenth as Concepcion nailed his Filipino rival with a perfect right hand that forced Banal to take a knee while he was counted out at 2:35 of the tenth round.

The vacant WBO Oriental Bantamweight title was up for grabs on the undercard, but after less than six minutes of combat, local veteran Michael “Bruce Lee” Domingo, 36-14-2 (15), decided matters in brutal fashion as the 28 year old crushed Indonesia’s Rivo Rengkung at just 0:46 of the second round.

20 year old light flyweight Milan Melindo, 16-0 (4), shed the prospect tag by winning the biggest fight of career with a twelve round unanimous decision over Panama’s Carlos “Shanghai” Melo, 18-7 (2), that earned the Mandaue City man the WBA Intercontinental title.

We next hit the Bazar Shopping Park in Bangkok, Thailand where southpaw Thangthong Kiattaweesuk, 7-0 (4), retained his IBF Pan Pacific Bantamweight crown with a wide points decision over Jonel Alivio, 8-6-1 (3), after twelve rounds on Friday night.

Also on Friday, lightweight Leonardo Zappavinga, 15-0 (11), took control over the vacant IBO Asia Pacific title with a dominating ten round decision over Filipino southpaw Leon Maratas, 8-5 (3), who has now lost his fifth straight bout, at Club Marconi in the Sydney, Australia suburb of Bossley Park.

On the undercard, Pradeep Singh, 14-0-1 (8), posted a six round points win against Paz Viejo, 8-30 (1).