Another Filipino Bites the Canvas

First it was Brian Viloria. Then Marvin Sonsona. Then Ana Julaton. Seems like the topnotch Filipino boxers are getting pounded one by one. And last Sunday, another high profile Filipino champion got his share of pounding.

Former WBC light flyweight champion Rodel Mayol got dethroned by Mexican rival Nino Romero, in a bout that showcased how to bring on the headbutts and lose all the way. Mayol was clearly dominating the early rounds, outboxing Romero who tried to bring the fight to the Filipino but could not just land the telling blows.

That was until Romero bullied Mayol and made the Filipino fight his fight. Mayol can punch but Romero clearly have the upper hand once the game became up close and personal. It seemed Mayol lost his ground after he got deducted two points for head butting, and there is no arguing an excuse about this one.

Mayol’s defeat brings up a general, though unwritten rule in boxing – if you are fighting someone in his backyard, make sure you knock him out, even if you are the champion.

Yo Mayol! You can’t really expect to win on points if you fight on foreign grounds and you are fighting the hometown bet now, can you?

Maybe you should have pressed harder and tried to blast Romero out of the water. After all, Romero "uppercutted" you in the nut, right?

But day was not yet lost for the Filipinos as Edren Dapudong did follow the aforementioned rule and literally drilled Mexico’s Jesus “Destroyer” Jimenez to the canvas and nailed him there for the count.

Dapudong knocked Jimenez down twice. Jimenez, the taller, bigger and harder punching guy. Yeah, Dapudong knocked him out.

Out cold.

In the first round.

*(sniff sniff)

I am definitely hoping to see more good things from this kid.


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Photo from The Boxing Truth