By Waylon Galvez
World Boxing Association (WBA) South light flyweight champion Ronnie Vecilles scored a fourth round knockout victory against Junuel Lacar of Baguio City as boxing in the country returned with a bang Wednesday night in Mandaue City, Cebu.
Vecilles, who is also ranked No. 10 in the World Boxing Council (WBC), delivered the knockout punch in the 1:47 mark of the fourth round of their scheduled 10-round encounter.
The match was part of the four-card fight organized by Omega Boxing Promotions – the Cebu-based outfit that conducted the first local boxfest with strict health protocols because of COVID-19 pandemic.
The fight was held in a ‘bubble’inside International Pharmaceuticals Inc. (IPI) headquarters.
Fellow Omega boxers Christian Araneta, Penitente Apolinar and Carlo Bacaro also scored similar easy wins.
A former WBC Asia silver champion in the light flyweight division, Araneta won via unanimous decision against Richard Rosales from Bohol in their 10-round flyweight division match.
Apolinar, on the other hand, also scored a unanimous decision victory against Cagayan de Oro’s Jetro Pabustan in their 10-round featherweight fight, while stable partner Carlo Bacaro won via technical knockout opposite fellow Cebuano Jeff Stella in a six-round welterweight match.
Omega Boxing Promotions vice president Jerome Calatrava said that they were satisfied not just with the performance of their boxers, but more importantly, on how they organized the event.
“After everything we went through – from conception to implementation – we finally have done and dusted it. Hopefully sa December maulit namin ito,” Calatrava said as he credited Omega Boxing Promotions chief Pio Paulo Castillo III for his efforts to stage the event.
