RTU, Tayabas pugs crowd finals rosters
IBA, Zambales—Rizal Technological University sent three more boxers to the finals Thursday night, keeping pace with Tayabas, Quezon, in the race for team honors in the PLDT-Abap Luzon Area Boxing Championship at Capitol Park here.
Porferio Aus Jr. stopped Olongapo’s Arnold delos Santos with one minute and 45 seconds gone in the second round of their junior boys light flyweight tussle to lead RTU’s charge.
Advancing outright for the Mandaluyong-based school are Stephen Bontoyan (junior boys light bantam) and Jovan Krist Solimoro (youth boys bantam), who both won by walkover over Tarlac’s Michael Grospe and Pasig’s Richard Malig-on, respectively.
The trio joined fellow RTU mainstay Mark Alex Brin, who will dispute the youth boys pinweight title against Tayabas’ Richard Agora in the nine-bout finals scheduled last night.
Aus will clash with La Union’s Aldrin Tatunay, Bontoyan will tangle with Tayabas’ Jeric Ferrer and Solimoro will battle Zambales’ Melvin Jakaran, who figured in Thursday’s most applauded bout.
Jakaran trounced Tayabas’ Rommel Ibasco, 30-12, in virtual nonstop action.
The other finalists from Tayabas were Jeric Ferrer, Aldrin Signar and Jessie Diaz.
Ferrer was impressive in winning by RSC (referee stopped contest) over Iba’s Clemen Balaois with 1:29 to go in the first round.
Signar will meet Sorsogon’s Fernel Gaspi, nephew of national coach Pat Gaspi, in the junior boys pinweight final; while Diaz will collide with San Fernando City’s Lawrence Ordonio for the junior boys flyweight crown.
Other final bouts pit Sorsogon’s Charlie Foster against San Fernando’s Ryan Torres (youth boys light flyweight), Sorsogon’s Jayson Foster against Iba’s Jess Ganayan (youth boys flyweight), and Kabaka’s Aziz Alkhuzeem against Zambales’ Lloyd Trinidad (youth boys lightweight).
Tatunay beat Jerome Labitag of Sorsogon, 7-5, while Foster whipped Kabaka’s Jessie Bert Campos, 22-5, in the semifinals.
Showcasing his counterpunching skills, Torres thwarted Zambales’ Reynard Sitenta, 21-7.
