Filipino boxers Servania, Sanchez score KOs in Japan

MANILA, Philippines – Unbeaten featherweight Genesis Servania racked up his third straight win since relocating to Japan on Saturday, April 29, stopping his Filipino compatriot Ralph Jhon Lulu in two rounds at Sangyo Hall in Kanazawa, Japan. The fight was not televised in the Philippines but the result was confirmed to Rappler by Lulu’s manager Brico Santig.

Servania (29-0, 12 knockouts) of Bacolod City, Philippines scored one knockdown in the second and the referee stepped in after Servania poured on follow-up punches, says Santig.

Servania had previously been a highly rated contender for the WBO junior featherweight title, but any plans of cashing in an opportunity were derailed when he abruptly left the ALA Gym in 2015 and was out of action for nearly 11 months. The win over Lulu earned Servania the WBO Asia Pacific featherweight title, which should get him a top 15 rating with the Puerto Rico-based organization at 126 pounds.

Santig had better success earlier on the card as Ernie Sanchez (17-9-1, 8 KOs) scored a fifth round stoppage of Hurricane Futa (22-7-1, 13 KOs) in a lightweight fight scheduled for 10 rounds. Sanchez of Zamboanga del Sur had previously had exposure on Manny Pacquiao undercards in 2012 but had fallen on tough times in the ring, having gone 2-6-1 in his previous 9 fights.

Sanchez knocked Futa down twice in the fifth, Santig says. “He went back up, second knockdown he got hit again by a straight, then knockout,” Santig said in a Facebook message.

Futa had recently knocked out former Australian contender Will Tomlinson and went the distance with multiple-time champion Jhonny Gonzalez, and suffers his first stoppage defeat to Sanchez.

Servania wasn’t the only Filipino boxer named after the first book of the Bible to have a fight recently. Genisis Libranza (11-1, 8 KOs) of Agusan del Sur, Philippines suffered the first defeat of his career, being knocked out on a body shot by former IBF flyweight champion Moruti Mthalane at Wembley Indoor Arena in Johannesburg, South Africa on Friday. The fight was Mthalane’s first since December of 2015. – Rappler.com