INQUIRER Sports

CEBU CITY, Philippines?Rey ?Boom Boom? Bautista showed his explosive power of old with a seventh round stoppage of Indonesian Marangin ?Dinamita? Marbun for the WBC international interim featherweight crown Friday night at the Waterfront Hotel here.

Gamely trading punches with Marbun throughout, Bautista sneaked in a sharp left followed by a powerful right straight that deposited Marbun near the neutral corner. Referee McTavish signaled the end at 1:25 of the seventh, giving Bautista?s return to the ring a much-needed boost.

The 23-year-old Bautista, whose stock dipped following a loss to Heriberto Ruiz in Las Vegas last year, raised his record to 27-2 with 20 knockouts.

Marbun, who staggered Bautista with a left hook in the third round, fell to 19-6-1 with 7 knockouts.

The two continued to trade bombs in the fourth until a straight left dropped Marbun, who was visibly disappointed with the loss and was even screaming when he was attended to by medical personnel at ringside.

Despite an 11-month inactivity due to a wrist injury that required reconstructive surgery, Bautista showed that he can still turn a fight around with his punching power.

Marjun Yap won by 10th round TKO over veteran Pramuansak Posuwan Kokietgym when the Thai suddenly limped and fell in the opening seconds of the final round, apparently due to leg cramps.

Czar Amonsot won a ten round unanimous decision over Jesus Muzaka Singwancha. The scorecards read 96-94, 98-92 and 97-93.

WBO vice president Leon Panoncillo, who was at ringside, said that because Muzaka lost in a non-title bout above his weight class, his WBO Asia-Pacific junior lightweight title will be declared vacant.

Teen sensation Jason Pagara won by unanimous decision over Decha (Bankluaygym) Kokietgym.