Saturday, November 17, 2007 Bangoyan captures PBF title By Charles Raymond A. Maxey
A YOUNG boxer from Jose Abad Santos in Davao del Sur took a major step in his dream of becoming a world champion someday when he captured the Philippine Boxing Federation (PBF) junior featherweight title Wednesday at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City.
Nineteen-year-old Balweg Bangoyan won by unanimous decision over Elpher Paganpan to take the PBF belt in his first championship match.
Bangoyan used speed and power in dominating Paganpan right from opening bell. He dropped Paganpan with a left hook in the ninth round before wisely cruising in the final round to secure the victory.
"This kid has talent. He can box and has speed and power," an ecstatic Jose Abad Santos Mayor Alexander Wangkay, more popularly known as Zander Khan, Bangoyan's chief benefactor, told Davao City sportswriters Friday.
Wangkay said he plans to have Bangoyan fight in a title bout in Davao next year. After that, the mayor said he will send his boxer to the United States after four or five fights.
"We will not rush him. One good thing about this kid is he is a brave and skillful boxer," Wangkay said.
Jose Abad Santos municipal councilor Junius Wangkay, the mayor's brother who manages Bangoyan, said his boy went up against a seasoned fighter in Paganpan.
"But he (Bangoyan) punished him and could have won by a knockout in the ninth round, only that Paganpan was saved by the bell," Wangkay said.
Wangkay said it was an action-packed encnounter, but Bangoyan landed the more telling and crispier blows. Paganpan's face was a total mess after the fight.
"I now call him the Davao Hitman," Mayor Wangkay said of his fighter.
With the win, Bangoyan raised his record to 9-0 with seven KOs.
The Bangoyan-Paganpan clash was one of the featured bouts in the Jimrex Jaca-Ryu Myagi battle.
The fight card dubbed "Battle for Supremacy II" was one of the highlights of the World Boxing Council 45th annual convention in Manila.
