Saulong rises from canvas to win, Rosia scores KO in Santa Rosa

MANILA, Philippines – Ernesto Saulong had to overcome a fifth-round knockdown to score a close 10-round unanimous decision win over Jestoni Autida on Friday, April 21 at the Brusmick Commercial Grounds in Santa Rosa, Laguna, Philippines.

Saulong (20-2-1, 8 knockouts) was walking his opponent down and made the mistake of trading left hooks with a fighter whose primary weapon is a left hook. Saulong rose up but stumbled around as Autida (9-7, 4 KOs) tried to finish the junior featherweight bout inside the distance.

Fighting through a bleeding, swollen left eye, Saulong regained the upper-hand behind his jab. His best success in the second half of the fight came in the ninth round, when his sustained body attack weakened Autida, and he punctuated the stanza with a left uppercut in close.

All 3 judges scored the fight for Saulong by the tallies of 95-94 on two cards and 96-93 on the third.

“We know [Saulong] is really tough,” said Mike Oliva, who trains the Mindoro Occidental native Saulong out of the Brusmick Boxing Gym in Santa Rosa. “Even when he was knocked down, he got back up fighting. We know he’s not going to give up.”

The fight was the first for the 28-year-old Saulong in 10 months. Oliva says the plan is to test Saulong again on the international scene, following two fights in 2015 abroad, a decision win over compatriot Alie Laurel in China and a 12-round points loss to Lwandile Sityatha in South Africa.

“I really plan for him to fight abroad. It’s time for him to have a big fight,” said Oliva.

Meanwhile in earlier action, Renz Rosia (13-5, 7 KOs) returned to the winner’s circle with an eighth-round technical knockout of Benezer Alolod (17-9-5, 5 KOs). The fight was stopped at the 52-second mark as Alolod was stunned again in the fight and not throwing punches against the ropes.

Rosia, of Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, stunned Alolod in round 6 with a right hook before a a sustained assault left Alolod crumpled in the corner. Despite having an opponent ready to be finished, Rosia couldn’t find the shots he needed to put him down again. The fight was stopped not as Rosia was landing punches but as it appeared Alolod was unable to mount a serious attack.

Filipino flyweight Renz Rosia drops Benezer Alolad in round 6, finished him in round 8 in Santa Rosa, Laguna, Philippines #boxing pic.twitter.com/t7Xm1Hq9ev

— Ryan Songalia (@ryansongalia) April 21, 2017

Rosia had lost a decision to Filipino Giemel Magramo and a ninth-round technical knockout to ex-flyweight champ Moruti Mthalane in South Africa in his two most recent fights.

Manager Ryan Gabriel says the 28-year-old Rosia had been in shape despite being out of the ring for 9 months, saying he had been training for a fight earlier this year that had fallen out due to an opponent’s medicals not being in order. 

In other results, Michael Landero (19-14-4, 8 KOs) scored a fourth-round technical against Renren Tesorio (15-11-3, 4 KOs). Landero had to wear 10 ounce gloves while Tesorio wore 8 ounce gloves after Landero weighed in two pounds over the 116-pound limit at 118 pounds.

There were no knockdowns, aside from the second round tumble referee Virgilio Garcia took. Garcia tripped over the fighters’ feet and hit the canvas, and a moment after both boxers fell as well.

The show was promoted by Brusmick Boxing Promotions. – Rappler.com