GOMERA, BORRES HONORED BY GENSAN, CDO

NEWLY-CROWNED interim Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) featherweight champion Jilbert Gomera and Asian Boxing Federation (ABF) flyweight champion Jeronil “El Diamante” Borres were recently honored by their respective local government units for their recent achievements.
Both Gomera and Borres won their titles during the 55th OPBF Convention held last Nov. 10 at the Puerto Princesa City Gym in Palawan.
The 25-year old Gomera (13W-4L-0D, 7 KOs) stopped the previously unbeaten Venezuelan Omrri “El Rayo” Bolivar (5W-0L) by a technical knockout in 1:33 of the 5th round to capture the interim OPBF featherweight title.
Gomera twice downed Bolivar with solid body shots in the 5th round.
Borres (8W-3L-1D, 5 KOs), on the other hand, scored a majority decision against Robert Onggocan to capture the vacant ABF flyweight title.
The 22-year old Borres was born in Camiguin Island but he grew up in Cagayan de Oro City and became member of the city and provincial amateur boxing team under former governor and now City Mayor Oscar Moreno.
Borres is slated to receive a cash incentive from the CDO under Mayor Moreno’s sports development program.
Gomera, likewise is scheduled to get an incentive from the city government of Gensan through Mayor Ronel Rivera. Gomera also paid a courtesy call to former Philippine champion Bobby Pacquiao, who is now an elected city councilor.
Gomera started as an amateur in Gensan and turned professional under the Bryan
Golingan Stable. But he later went to Benguet to join the Highland Boxing Gym in La Trinidad of international promoter-matchmaker
Brico Santig.
“Masaya ako pareho sa kanilang dalawa dahil nag bunga yung pagsisikap nilang dalawa. Pareho silang mabait at masipag mag training,” (I’m happy for both of them because they’re both working hard. Both are kind and have been training hard), said Santig in his Facebook message.
But it was not an easy journey for both Gomera and Borres.
Borres had earlier fought and lost twice in separate championship fights.
Borres dropped a controversial majority decision to Richard Claveras in their battle for the interim OPBF flyweight crown last Sept. 30, 2016 at the Strike Coliseum in Bacoor, Cavite.
Borres then went to Chuncheon, South Korea to face Joo Hyun Jung for the vacant WBC Eurasia Pacific Boxing Council flyweight title last Feb. 11 at the Bomnae Gym.
But despite twice knocking down Jung in the 3rd round, Borres lost by a split decision. Two Korean judges scored 115-114 and 114-113 both for their fellow countryman while the other Korean judge gave it to Borres, 114-112.
Gomera earlier captured the vacant Philippine Boxing Federation (PBF) featherweight title via a unanimous decision against Eduardo Mancito last Dec. 3 at the Puerto Princesa City Coliseum.
In his next title fight, however, Gomera bowed by a UD to Japanese Hidenori Otake for the vacant OPBF super bantamweight crown last March 17, 2017 at the Korakuen Hall.
Gomera, who suffered two more separate losses, went back to Benguet to train harder under Highland Gym chief trainer Joven Jorda.
“Buti na lang nakinig sya sa akin noong laban kay Bolivar na puntiryahin nya sa tiyan dahil nakita naming na mahina sa tiyan pala,” (Good thing he listened to me in Bolivar’s fight to target in the stomach because we saw that it was weak), said Jorda.

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