Sunday, October 12, 2008 Davao's Bangoyan snatches WBC belt from Kenyan pug By Charles Raymond A. Maxey and Marianne Saberon-Abalayan
WITH blood dripping from a cut over his left eye, Balweg "Davao Hitman" Bangoyan of the Philippines fought his way to a unanimous five-round technical decision over Sande Otieno of Kenya to capture the World Boxing Council (WBC) international super bantamweight crown before a roaring crowd Friday night at the Rizal Memorial Colleges (RMC) Gym.
The 21-year-old Bangoyan won via the judges' scorecard, 48-45, after the bout was stopped by referee Bruce McTavish at 1:32 of the fifth round upon the advise of ringside physician Dr. Edgar Tan.
When the decision was announced declaring Bangoyan the winner, the highly appreciative crowd let out a rousing applause, hailing the new WBC champion from Davao.
It may not be a convincing win, but Bangoyan got the job done to make a name of himself and put Davao in the world boxing map.
"I'm happy for Balweg for winning the WBC international super bantamweight crown. At least we already have a world champion from Jose Abad Santos. He is now Davao's new idol," said an ecstatic Jose Abad Santos Alexander Wangkay, Bangoyan's handler who co-promoted the championship showdown.
"Garbo gyud ni sa Davao ang pagdaug ni Bangoyan. Tanang mga Dabawenyos nalipay sa iyang pagdaug (His victory is Davao's pride. Every Dabawenyo rejoices in his triumph)," Davao City Vice Mayor Inday Sara Duterte said after awarding the golden trophy to the new world champion.
Bangoyan praised Otieno after the fight, saying the Kenyan proved to be a tough nut to crack.
"Malakas ang resistensiya ni Otieno. Nakarekober parin siya matapos ko siyang ma-knockdown. Naapektuhan talaga ako sa sugat ko (He's got good resistance, recovering from that knockdown. My cut really affected me)," Bangoyan said after the fight.
Bangoyan highlighted his victory with a stunning first round knockdown, sending Otieno to the floor from four-punch combination.
Otieno got up immediately and managed to survive the round.
In the second, Otieno got active and engaged Bangoyan in a slugfest. But, the Kenyan was deducted a point after the round for a headbutt that opened a big cut above Bangoyan's left eye.
"He (Bangoyan) can still be developed. He's got a lot to learn. This is just is his first international fight. There is still much going for him, he's only 21. I'm very happy that we now have a world champion from Davao," Wangkay said.
Paul Otieno, trainer-coach of Otieno, was dismayed by the outcome of the fight. He even questioned the decision of Dr. Tan when he stopped the bout after fifth round.
