By Rey Danesco

Pedirito Laurente, a Parañaque City resident and product of the Sucat-based Johnny Elorde stable, stopped Chinese Qi Mu Xiang in the third round to capture his second regional super-bantamweight (interim) title in one of four Pan Asian Boxing Association (PABA) championship bouts in a card held Tuesday in Guangzhou, China.

With Elorde in his corner, the 24-year old Filipino used his superior skills early in the bout and badly hurt Xiang in the third, forcing veteran Thai referee Chalerm Prayadsab to stop the massacre.

           

In August 16, 2003, Laurente became the second Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation titlist in the family when he dethroned super bantam champion Manabu Fukushima of Japan by unanimous decision in Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall in Japan.

Laurente’s success brings back the champion in the family after his older brother, Dennis lost his OPBF lightweight throne in a rematch with Japanese Chikashi Inada via split decision last March 5th in the same venue within the Japanese capital.

H e improved to 15-8-1 win-loss-draw records with 6 knockouts while the Chinese fighter, who has three knockouts in his previous fights, suffered his first defeat in only four bouts overall since turning pro in August of 2004.

On the same card in China, light-heavyweight Paul Murdoch of Australia and super-middle Peter Kariuki Ngateri of Kenya retained their respective PABA titles while super-feather Pongsith Wiangwiset of Thailand failed in his title defense.

Making his sixth title defense, Murdock scored a fourth round knockout of Fiji’s Sakeasi Dakua; Ngateri annihilated Juarne Dowling of Australia in the opening bell for his first title defense; and Wiangwiset suffered a 6 th round TKO to Xu Chong Liang, who become the first Chinese champ in paid ranks.

In Thailand, WBA No. 6 minumumweight Pornsawan Porpramook and his compatriot WBA No. 3 flyweight Denkaosan Kaovichit retained their PABA crowns via unanimous decision against Filipino challengers.

Porpramook earned a 110-118, 111-117, and 112-116 verdict from three judges against Niño Suelo while Kaovichit got a 111-117, 112-118, and 110-118 favors in a fight against Allan Rañada.

NOTE : The veteran writer REY DANSECO is based in Manila and the Sports Editor of Bagong Tiktik (Spy), one of the leading daily in the Philippines. He is also a pro-boxing judge and television commentator of weekly program Ringside@Elorde that airs from 11 p.m to 12 midnight every Saturdays over NBN Channel 4 in the whole country. He also boxing reports contributor for Manila Times ( www.manilatimes.net ), which was established in 1898.

 

Questions, Comments: reydanseco@yahoo.com