MANILA – Negrense boxer Warlito Parreñas failed to clinch the WBO Asia-Pacific super flyweight belt following an eighth-round knockout loss to Japanese Ryuichi Funai at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
It was the first defeat of the Cadiz City, Negros Occidental native – a one-time world boxing championship challenger – since returning from a two-year boxing hiatus last December.
Parreñas, a former WBO Oriental super flyweight champion, was able to keep in step with the much younger Funai in the early rounds on Thursday but lost steam from sixth rounds onwards until he was knocked down by the Japanese fighter in the eighth.
After the match, the 35-year-old Parreñas told Panay News he would be retiring from boxing for good and would focus on training boxers at the Japan-based Morioka Gym.
It was the Negrense fighter’s second time to retire from boxing after quitting in 2015 when he was defeated by Japanese fighter Naoya Inoue for the WBO world super flyweight belt.
“This is my last fight na,” said Parreñas. “This match was an eye opener for me. I had a strong start and have even won a couple of rounds but I suddenly gassed out late in the match.”
“I have achieved my purpose naman na sa pagbo-boxing and gumanda ‘yung buhay ng family ko after 12 years of boxing,” he added. “I have a stable job naman as a trainer.”
With the defeat, Parreñas will be ending his career with 26 wins, eight losses and one draw with 23 knockout wins, while Funai improved his boxing slate to 30-7-0 with 21 stoppage wins./PN
