Ni Gilbert Espeña

NAHIRAPAN muna si Japanese two-division world champion Kosei Tanaka bago napasuko sa 9th round si WBO No. 13 flyweight Ronnie Baldonado ng Pilipinas sa kanilang non-title na sasupaan kamakalawa ng gabi sa Nagoya, Japan.

Nakipagsabayan si Baldonado kay Tanaka sa unang tatlong rounds bago napabagsak ng Hapones sa 4th round ngunit hinangaan ng boxing fans nang makabangon at patuloy na lumaban.

“Baldonado, whose de facto manager is Manny Pacquiao of MP Promotions, furiously started attacking Tanaka from the outset, swinging roundhouse solid shots, but the ex-champ, 22, cleverly averted them and connected with short but more effective counters to the onrushing opponent,” ayon sa ulat ng Fightnews.com. “Having swept the first three rounds with precision, Tanaka badly sent him to the deck in agony with a wicked left hook to the belly, but Baldonado amazingly stood up and came back fighting on.”

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Patuloy na nakipagbakbakan si Baldonado kay Tanaka hanggang sa itigil ng Hapones na referee ang sagupaan sa 9th round.

“After the eighth, all the officials identically tallied 80-71 in Kosei’s favor. The fatal ninth witnessed Kosei accelerate his attack to the retreating rival, when the referee Fukuchi wisely declared a halt to stop the affair,” dagdag sa ulat.

Napaganda ni Tanaka ang kanyang rekord sa perpektong 11 panalo, tanpok ang pito sa pamamagitan ng knockouts samantalng bumagsak ang kartada ni Baldonado sa 10-1-1 win-loss-draw na may 7 pagwawagi sa knockouts.