Julaton loses; Glen Donaire wins

Bay Area’s Ana “The Hurricane” Julaton lost her World Boxing Organization women’s super bantamweight title by unanimous decision against Argentine Yesica Patricia “La Leona” Marcos Friday night at the jampacked Teatro Griego Juan Pablo Segundo in San Martin, Mendoza, Argentina.

Julaton, 31, failed to capitalize on a second round knockdown and yielded her crown to the younger Marcos in 10 action-packed rounds.

Judges Cesar Ramos and Ignacio Robles scored the fight 98-92, while Jose Roberto Torres saw it 98-91.

Julaton dropped to 10-3-1 win-loss-draw, with one win by knockout. The new Argentine champion remained unbeaten with 19 wins, six of them by KOs, against one draw.

Julaton gamely traded punches against the more active, younger challenger through most of the bruising fight to the delight of the partisan local crowd.

In the end, the FilAm boxing sensation from Daly City just failed to cope with the work rate Marcos, an aggressive volume puncher.

Julaton, who came to the fight a 3-1 underdog, deserves credit for her gallant stand, staking her title in Marcos’ home turf.

The 26-year-old Marcos was the busier fighter for most of the fight, countering Julaton with precision when the pretty Pinay champ went on the attack.

In the second round, Julaton clipped Marcos with two left hooks to the jaw and decked the stunned challenger for a mandatory eight-count.

But the Argentine quickly recovered her bearing and pressed the attack towards the end of the round, Marcos flailing away with both hands.

In the third round, Julaton used he left jab to keep Marcos at bay and the adjustment worked for a while.

The turning point came in Round 5 when a questionable one-point deduction imposed by referee Roberto Ramirez appeared to derail Julaton’s attack and unsettle the Pinay champ.

Ring observers said Ramirez’ deduction seemed to be premature because it came immediately after just one warning for a low body blow that some experts found inconsequential.

Although there is no hard and fast rule on when a referee can deduct a point on a boxer, the most common practice is slap the point deduction on the third infraction and after two warnings.

Marcos stepped up the attack in the next three rounds, outpunching Julaton in that stretch.

Julaton used her longer reach to advantage again in the ninth and slowed down Marcos’ attacking game.

But the Argentine challenger was back in the attack in the final round, outgunning Julaton again and impressing the judges with a furious finish.

But in the final canto, Marcos was back on the attack and engaged the game Julaton in a furious finish.

In a blatant disrespect of ring protocol, local promoter Osvaldo Rivero failed to accord Julaton the respect due a champion as the Filipina star was introduced first and made to enter the ring ahead of the local favorite.

In boxing tradition, the champion is always given the privilege of climbing the ring after the challenger is introduced and made his or her way to the ring.

Meanwhile, Glenn “The Filipino Bomber” won his second World Boxing Council Latino title by unanimous decision against Omar Salado of Mexico for the vacant title on March 16 at the Auditorio Plaza Condesa in Mexico City.

The older brother of world super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire Jr. won his new title a year in his first foray at 115 pounds after having copped the flyweight (112 lbs.) belt in December in Florida.

Donaire 18-4-1 (10 by knockouts) won by scores of 116-112, 118-111 and 115-113 over the gritty Salado (23-4-2, 14 by KOs).

Donaire was the stronger puncher and more skillful boxer in 12 rounds marked by frequent toe-to-toe exchanges between fighters who loved to attack.

Donaire looked good in his first fight as a super flyweight, keeping the gutsy Mexican with good combinations in the head and the body.

Donaire appeared to hurt Salado with big rights to the head and hooks to the body, but the Tijuana brawler stayed on his feet.