MANILA – Ilonggo boxer Arnel Baconaje stretched his winning streak after defeating Danny Tampipi via unanimous decision on Saturday at the Urdaneta Cultural Sports Complex in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan.
This was Baconaje’s third consecutive victory, following his technical knockout triumphs over Jay Lloyd Quidlat in May and Ivor Lastrilla in July.
Baconaje, a native of San Rafael, Iloilo, has been on fire since the opening round, connecting brutal hits against Tampipi. The latter also connected with his blows in a few rounds, but not enough to prevent the Ilonggo fighter from earning a 60-52, 60-52, 60-52 score from the judges.
“I just want to thank the Lord for giving me strength for this match. I am also thankful to family, friends, managers, and supporters for praying for me,” according to Baconaje. “It is nice to be competing despite the pandemic situation.”
The 27-year-old Baconaje improved to a 14-4-0 win-loss-draw record, including 11 stoppage victories, while the 32-year-old Tampipi suffered his third straight defeat to drop to 9-13-2, including five knockout (KO) victories.
Roy Sumugat, on the other hand, ousted fellow Negrense Glenn Bismanos via sixth-round stoppage in the supporting bout of the boxing card presented by Robert Hill of VSP Boxing and Cucuy Elorde of UKC Pro Boxing Edition.
Sumugat, who was born in Bacolod City, was the aggressor from the start, smothering Bismanos with his combinations before finishing him off in the sixth frame with volume punches.
Sumugat won his third consecutive bout, hiking his boxing record to 12-11-1 with six knockout victories, while Bismanos dropped to 6-2-4 with four stoppage triumphs.
Meanwhile, Ilonggo slugger Jules Victoriano (9-4-0, 6 KOs) failed to get back on the winning track after suffering a fourth-round technical knockout to John Lawrence Ordonio (7-2-1, 4 KOs).
Victoriano, who had previously lost to Japanese boxer Yoshimitsu Kimura and fellow Filipino fighter Virgil Puton, struggled to land his punches on Ordonio until the referee halted the action in the fourth round./PN
