PH boxers Suarez, Ladon advance as Marvin absorbs shock loss

PASAY CITY, Philippines – Riding high on an outstanding opener in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games boxing tournament, Filipino boxers were nothing short of spectacular against their foreign opposition on Thursday, December 5 at the Philippine International Convention Center. 

Charly Suarez, who represented the Philippines at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, made a triumphant return to the regional biennial meet in emphatic fashion, demolishing Burmese opponent Min Arkar Paing in the 2nd round to become the first pugilist to score a knockout in the tournament. 

The difference in terms of experience was very evident right off the bat as the 31-year-old native of Sawata, Davao del Norte easily imposed his will, firing heavy blows in rapid-fire succession.

Midway of the opening salvo, Suarez had his opponent reeling inside the ring with his patented right hand, which played a pivotal role in securing the stoppage in the 2nd round. 

Suarez scored the first knockdown in the opening minute of round 2, sending Min Arkar Paing to the mat with a counter right hand. 

Seeing his foe struggling to regain balance, Suarez put him down once more with a clobbering right. Although the Myanmar-based boxer managed to beat the 10-count on shaky legs, the referee elected to wave it off as he had difficulties to recover from the Filipino’s lethal blows. 

The impressive win earned Suarez a seat in the semifinals of the stacked lightweight tourney.

Solid punches

Setting the tone of the action-packed event inside the packed PICC Forum, Rogen Ladon kicked things off with a majority decision win over Indonesia’s Aldoms Sugoro with the score of 4-1 to advance in the semifinal round of the flyweight division. 

It was not a walk in the park for the 2015 SEA Games silver medalist as the southpaw from Bago City, Negros Occidental needed to rely on his minimal-but-accurate approach to stifle the aggressive Indonesian athlete.

While Sugoro seemed to be bringing the fight to the Filipino, Ladon made sure to land the cleaner and the more significant blows to win in the eyes of at least 4 of the 5 judges at ringside. 

James Palicte, the young brother of former world title challenger Aston Palicte, drew a first-round bye to book a semifinal slot in the light welterweight tournament. 

While Suarez and Ladon delivered riveting ring victories, Filipino-British standout John Marvin failed to make it a perfect night for the Philippines, bowing to Vietnamese stalwart Truong Dinh Hoang via a 3-2 split decision in the light heavyweight match. 

Marvin, the 2017 SEA Games gold medalist, was stunned in the early going of the 1st round as Truong Dinh Hoang dropped him to the canvas with a staggering overhand right, drawing infuriating screams for the raucous pro-Filipino crowd. 

Truong Dinh Hoang continuously pummeled Marvin, who retaliated by engaging in a precarious phone booth exchanges that the Vietnamese got the better of the significant blows. 

Marvin changed his plan of attack in the 2nd round, utilizing his size advantage while leaning on his long jabs in order to create openings for quick combinations. 

In the 3rd and final round, Marvin applied pressure on Truong Dinh Hoang, landing a volley of solid punches. The latter did not back down, tagging the Filipino with his hard hooks until the final bell. 

Despite Marvin’s gallant rally to salvage a win, he fell short, only getting the nod of 2 of the 5 judges. – Rappler.com