ELORDE BOXERS CAPTURE THREE TITLES IN ONE NIGHT

ALL three fighters from the Elorde Boxing Gym – Jeffrey “The Bull” Arienza, Silvester “Silver” Lopez and Felipe “Crunch Man” Cagobgob Jr. – emerged as the new champions in their respective divisions during the Night of Champions III held July 13 at the Music Hall of the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.
The 25-year old Arienza used his combinations to stop Indonesian Wellem Reyk in 1:29 of the 5th round and captured the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council Super Lightweight title.

Reyk, 30, traded blows with Arienza in the first four rounds but was finally cornered in the 5th round. Arienza scored his 9th knockout win in 15 wins against 4 losses and 1 draw while Reyk suffered his 8th knockout loss in 14 defeats against 18 wins and 4 draws.

Lopez, 28, took the vacant WBC ABCO Intercontinental featherweight crown after surviving the never-say-die Danilo “Pitbull” Pena via a technical knockout win in 56 seconds of the 7th round.

Lopez survived a first round attack by Pena, who bombarded him with whooping overhand left that almost knocked him down on the canvas.

“Dapat binilangan na yun ni referee Virgilio Garcia kasi tinamaan ng solid punches si Lopez at muntik nga itong masubsob,” (Referee Virgilio Garcia should have made a count on Lopez who was hit by solid punches and almost fell down) said trainer Ericson Asilo.

Pena continued to pressure Lopez, who fell down while backpedalling in the fifth round.

“Tinamaan na yun talaga si Lopez pero hindi pa rin ito binilangan ng referee,” (Lopez was already hit but still was not given a count by the referee) said Asilo.

In the 6th round, Pena knocked down Lopez with a right hook. But Lopez recovered to also send Pena even twice down on the canvas in the same round.

Pena was still exhausted in the next round while Lopez already earned his second wind to finish off his rival with continuous left-right combinations.

“Bakit hindi agad hininto ng referee yung laban kahit nakita na niyang hindi na sumusuntok si Pena. Hinayaan pa nya itong mabugbog pa si Pena”,” (Why did the referee not stop already the fight despite seeing Pena not throwing his punches already, he still allowed Pena to be mauled) added Asilo.

Lopez improved his record to 27 wins, 11 losses, 2 draws with 19 knockouts while Pena, a former Philippine Boxing Federation super bantamweight champion, dropped to 27-25-4-11 Kos.

“Nahirapan talaga ako sa mga unang rounds kasi malakas talaga ang kalaban. Pero hindi po ako bumigay hanggang sa nakita ko na ang style nya at sinusundot ko na siya ng mga suntok,” (It was really very hard for me in the early rounds because he was very strong. But I did not give up until I saw his style and started punching him) said Lopez in a post interview.

Cagobgob, on the other hand, dethroned Donnie Mabao via a knockout in 1:51 of the fourth round.

Cagobgob, a native of Misamis Oriental used his solid left in knocking down Mabao early in the second round. He finally caught Mabao with an uppercut on the midsection that sent the defending champion grimising in pain and was counted out by referee Silvestre Abainza.

“Ang sakit ng tiyan ko at hindi ako maka hinga,” (I had too much pain on my stomach and could hardly take my breath) said Mabao, who only arrived in Manila three days before the fight.

“Kung dumating sana siya dito two weeks bago sa laban, hindi sana ganun ang kondisyon nya (Mabao),” (If only he had arrived earlier for two weeks before the fight, his condition could not be like that) said former Philippine junior welterweight champion-turned trainer Allan Alegria of MP Highlands Gym.

Cagobgob and Mabao had fought many times already during their amateur days in Region 10 and it was only their first encounter as a pro.

All three new champions received their golden belts awarded by Dr. Nasser Cruz, boxing chief of the Games and Amusements Board (GAB).

Three other fighters from the Elorde Boxing Gym also won in the 6-rounder preliminary bouts.

Super featherweight Allan “El Matador” Vallespin forced JonelBorbon of Borbon Boxing Stable to quit during the rest period of the second round while minimumweight Argie Guiriba knocked out Berwela’s Jun Jun Rimasog in 2:02 of the first round.

Flyweight Rolly “Bomba” Sumalpong won by a unanimous decision over Brothers’ Ruben Traza.

In the curtain raisers, super bantamweight Jerome Roque settled to a split draw with Boxpit’s Eblin Malagad while Gono’s Nestor Junio beat flyweight Romel Hangalay by a majority decision.

The explosive boxing card was presented by the Elorde International Productions of Gabriel “Bebot” Elorde Jr. – LITO DELOS REYES

Newly-crowned WBC Asian Boxing Council Super Lightweight champion Jeffrey Arienza (2nd from right) is flanked by GAB boxing chief and WBC supervisor Dr. Nasser Cruz (2nd from left) and international referee Bruce Mctavish at the Music Hall of the SM Mall of Asia last July 13. Arienza knocked out Indonesian Wellem Reyk in 1:29 of the 5th round . (Photo by LITO DELOS REYES)