Lerio wins on Friday the 13th

LA LISA, Cuba — Arlan Lerio, getting better, stronger and faster with each fight, once again delivered for Team Caltex Philippines by beating Cuban bantamweight Eduardo Aces, 3-2, in their Friday the 13th encounter in the seventh Roberto Balado Cup at the La Vereda Plaza here.

It was the second victory in two days against a Cuban fighter for the 24-year-old Lerio, counting his 4-2 victory over Frank Delgado in Thursday’s opener. Now assured of a bronze, Lerio takes a rest Saturday and resumes his quest for the gold on Sunday.

Lerio’s victory over Aces, a member of the Cuban National team who looked so much heavier than the 54 kg weight limit, avenged the 4-1 loss of welterweight Reynaldo Galido to Cuban Richard Vaillant earlier in the day and that of lightweight Joel Barriga to another Cuban Thursday.

Four members of Team Caltex, also supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Pacific Heights and Adidas, see action Saturday with lightfly Danilo Lerio, featherweight Ramil Zambales and lightmiddle Junie Tizon taking on Cuban boxers, and flyweight Violito Payla pitted against a boxer from Ecuador.

Lightwelter Romeo Brin, already assured of a bronze after taking a bye in the first round, will not see action until Monday since only six boxers were entered in the division (63.5 kg). Filipino boxers who will win Saturday will be assured of bronze medals.

Team Caltex is out to match or surpass its four-bronze finish in last week’s Cordova Cardin boxing championships in Havana a feat described by Philippine amateur boxing president Manny Lopez as a "big accomplishment" considering the fact that the team failed to win any medal in Cordova last year.

Lerio, who delivered one of four bronze medals in Cordova along with Payla, Barriga and Galido, dictated the tempo of the fight against the taller, heftier Cuban right after the opening bell and was never in trouble throughout the four-round contest.

The pride of North Cotabato who competed in last year’s Sydney Olympics kept the Cuban at bay with his crunching right straights and jab-hook combinations. Aces, who also won the bronze in Cordova, connected on several occasions although his punches were not as clear as Lerio’s.

"Hirap din siya tumama sa akin pero ang laki niya talaga. Parang feather na ang timbang. Kapag nagdidikit kami, talagang malaki sa bantam," said Arlan, whose best finish in a Cuban tournament was a silver in 1998 in Cordova. "Maganda na ang kinikilos ko, mas magaan na ang pakiramdam."

Head coach Gregorio Caliwan, however, refused to be carried away by Lerio’s victory. "Isa-isa lang para ang focus ay tuloy-tuloy. Mahirap kasi mag-isip ng malayo, ganoon din sa ibang boxers natin. Basta ang importante ay maglaro sila ng mahusay," he said.

Galido, a gold medalist in the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games, gave it his best against Vaillant but was not aptly rewarded by the judges. At one point in the final round, Galido was given a standing eight count after an accidental head-butting between the two sluggers.

"Kitang-kita na aksidente at pareho naman sila nag-umpugan pero bakit si Aldok (Reynaldo) ang binilangan? Ayos lang, ang importante ay lumaban si Aldok," said assistant coach Nolito Velasco, his statement echoed by Alex Arroyo, also of the coaching staff, and refereee/judge Darcito Teodoro.