August 31, 2001
ANTIPOLO, PHILIPPINES-Unbeaten WBC No.6 130-pounder Randy Suico, 131, made it 15-0, 13 KOs, as he dropped Australian champ Karim Nashar (14-8, 9 KOs), 132, with a vicious right and furiously followed up to batter him to prompt the refereefs intervention at 2:49 of the opening round in a scheduled 12-round eliminator to decide the OPBF official challenger.
Nashar, a Naseem Hamed stylist, tried to dance, but Suico outjabbed him effectively and set him up for a wicked right, which sent him to the deck. The Filipino champ, 21, swarmed over the groggy foe with powerful combinations, pinning him to the ropes. Ref Bruce McTavish, New Zealand, patiently watched the process of annihilation, but finally declared a halt to save the loser from further punishment.
It was an official eliminator to decide the next mandatory challenger to WBC #4 ranked OPBF 130-pound champ Tiger Ari, a 35-year-old veteran lefty, who will be obliged to face the upcoming sensation by April 15, 2002.
Ex-WBA 105-pound champ Joma Gamboa (31-6-1, 22 KOs), 109, retired Thai #3 minimum Samransak Singmanassak (13-4, 11 KOs), 109, after the 4th, as he badly sank the Thailander with a vicious left uppercut to the belly in the 4th and banged him out so mercilessly that he surrendered despite being saved by the bell to end the 4th.
The WBA #4 ranked minimum Gamboa, who had lost his belt to unheralded Japanese Keitaro Hoshino via hairline decision last December, scored a couple of fine KO wins since, and anticipates his shot at the WBA throne against the newly crowned Yutaka Niida of Japan.
Skillful jabber, WBC #10 ranked 105-pounder Noel Tunacao (35-5-2, 15 KOs), 110, outscored ex-WBA interim minimum champ Songkram Porpaoin (20-3-1, 11 KOs), 110, Thailand, by a unanimous decision over 10.
Unbeaten ex-5 time Philippine national amateur champ Rodel Mayol (8-0, 7 KOs), 108, proved too sharp and powerful for Thai #2 105-pounder Pigmy Muangchaiya (9-3-2, 3 KOs), flooring him 5 times before the refereefs well-timed stoppage at 2:50 of the 5th round.
WBC #24 ranked 105-pounder Mayol, a tall and lanky hard-puncher, caught the Thai bull with penetrating shots to the face and midsection to drop the determined opponent in every round. Mayol may have everything to become a world 105-pound champ in the near future, but what he needs is more experience. Probably he will become one of Filipino superstars along with Randy Suico in the near future.
Promoter: Viva Vintage Sports in association with Joe Koizumi.
Fight venue: Ynares Center.
(8-31-01)