Thai stops Banal in 9th

Thailand’s Pungluang Sor Singyu(R) punches AJ “Bazooka” Banal(L) of the Philippines in Manila on October 20, 2012, during their WBO bantamweight title bout. Thailand’s Pungluang Sor Singyu stopped AJ “Bazooka” Banal of the Philippines in the ninth round to capture the vacant World Boxing Organisation bantamweight title on Saturday. AFP/JAY DIRECTO

It was nearly midnight and there was funereal silence, broken only by AJ Banal’s intermittent sobs, inside the dugout of Team Philippines in the aftermath of the Pinoy Pride XVII card Saturday at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Unmindful of the deep cut on his right eyebrow, Banal was devastated over his ninth-round technical knockout loss to Thai Pungluang Sor Singyu in their battle for the WBO bantamweight crown.

Trembling in frustration, Banal said he wanted a rematch.

Michael Aldeguer, president and CEO of Ala Promotions who was seated beside his prized ward, said he would try to work it out with the Thai camp.

Just like in 2008, when he lost steam and got knocked out by Panamanian Raul Concepcion in the 10th round, Banal came close to being a world champion—only to fall short.

He was fending off the crouching Thai when he got tagged by a hard right straight, followed by a flurry of punches that nearly sent him out of the ropes.

Banal got up, but the iron-chinned Pungluang caught him with a right followed by more heavy blows that knocked down the Filipino southpaw again.

Though Banal managed to beat the count, the Filipino was glassy eyed and stood on wobbly legs, forcing American referee Tony Weeks to stop the bout at 1:45 of the ninth round.

When the end came, Banal was ahead on the scorecard of Judge Robert Hoyle, 77-74. But judges Levi Martinez and Raul Caiz Jr. had the Thai leading 77-76 mainly due to a one-point deduction slapped on Banal for a low blow before the sixth round ended.

An accidental headbutt late in the third round, opened a cut on Banal’s right eyelid and Pungluang made it his target from there.

The 23-year-old Banal saw his record slip to 28-2-1 with 20 knockouts while Pungluang rose to 43-1 with 28 KOs.

Pungluang, a former Muay Thai fighter who turned out to be as tall as Banal at 5 feet 5, chalked up his 16th straight win over Filipinos.

The four other Filipinos who took on foreign opponents in the card prevailed.

Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista fought valiantly against a taller Daniel Ruiz of Mexico and took the WBO International featherweight title by split decision.

Judge Epi Almeda saw Ruiz the winner, 115-113, but he was overturned by Salven Lagumbay, 116-112, and Samson Libres, 115-113. It was Bautista’s 34th win (25 KOs) against two losses.

Ruiz fell to 27 (19 KOs)-6-2.

Prime prospect Jason Pagara knocked out cocky Miguel Antoine of Barbados in the first round to win the WBO International junior welterweight crown.

The 20-year-old Pagara, who floored Antoine with a left to the abdomen followed by a right to the back of the ear, raised his record to 30-2 (with 19 KOs). Antoine suffered his first loss after 17 wins and one draw.

Veteran Michael Domingo stopped Ugandan Mudde Ntambe Rabison (19-3-1) with a right to the jaw and a hook to the body in the second round while Marlon Napales also needed just two rounds to dispose off Indonesian Rasmudin.

Also winning in the Pinoy Pride XVII jointly staged by Ala Promotions and ABS-CBN Sports were Juan Martin Elorde, grandson of the great Flash Elorde, who stopped Gerry Sismundo in the fourth round; Randy Bullong, who halted Kazuma Ejiri in the fourth and Val Fakunaya, who TKOd Robert Agcopra in the third.