Tagbilaran pugs sizzle in inter-city boxing tilt

Defending champion Tagbilaran City remains the team to beat as four of its seven bets advanced to the final round in the 20th Visayas Inter-City Amateur Boxing Developmental Championship in Tacloban City.

Tagbilaran has an initial collection of three bronze medals together with Burawin while Mandaue City, Cebu City, Palo, Leyte and host Tacloban has two apiece.

Mandaue and Tacloban have three each in the finals while Cebu City has two and Palo and Burawin with one finals ticket each.

Tagbilaran's Gino Cabugngan meets Mandaue's Gerald Suico in the finals after he outclassed Palo's Gerald Duque in the 34 kilograms class.

Cabugngan's 38kgs teammate, Francis Lee Cutanda also meets a Mandauehanon in the finals Wilbeth Loberanis. Cutanda defeated Tacloban's Junrey Gayola, 3-2, and Loberanis with a 5-0 win against Cebu City's Ferdinand Go.

Jimmel Barimbao, the 40kg bet, gets the toughest assignment as he battles Cebu City's Jomari Yuson, a former standout of the defunct-Batang Pinoy after beating Palo's Richard Eslanada, 4-1 while Yuson outclassed Burawin's Jomar Regulado at the start of the second round.

The fourth finalist of Tagbilan is Marlon Arresga, who will meet Burawin's Hector Dazo in the 48kgs class following a thrilling 3-2 win against host Tacloban's Damaso Oledan.

Mandaue's Jefferson Bariga joins Suico and Loberanis in the championship after overpowering Donald Tubod of Cebu City, 4-1 in the 36kgs class. Bariga takes on Tacloban's Efren Codera, the conqueror of Tagbilaran's Jefferson Reodique.

On the other hand, 45kgs class entry, Jestoni Borres of Cebu City, which is supported by the M. Lhuillier Sports Development Foundation (MLSDF) and the Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) headed by its chairman Michel Lhuillier, is also in the final showdown, assigned to exchange blows with Tacloban's Junrel Casimero following a 4-1 victory over Tagbilaran's Sarayan while Casimero silenced Mandaue's Dario Luga,5-0.

Tacloban's Romnick Villegas and Burawin's Carlo Earnest Donato completes the final cast as they battle out each other in the 42kgs division title after beating Tagbilaran's Noel Adelmita and Mandaue's Teodoro Bongco, respectively.