Bad news, good news

First, the bad news.

World Boxing Organization (WBO) No. 1, World Boxing Council (WBC) No. 7, and International Boxing Federation (IBF) No. 5 superflyweight contender Vernie Torres of General Santos City was knocked out by unheralded Julio Coronel of Colombia at 0:52 of the seventh round at the Casino Magic in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, last Sept. 22.

It was supposed to be a cakewalk for Torres, linked up for a shot at WBO 115-pound champion Pedro Alcazar’s crown.

Coronel took the fight on five days notice after four others–including former IBF flyweight champion Francisco Tejedor–chickened out. But Torres, who trained less than two weeks for the fight after spending an extended vacation here, was clearly out of shape.

Torres, 26, left for the US two years ago and set up base at Roy Jones’ camp in Pensacola. He posted a 9-1 record since transplanting and zoomed to the top of the WBO ladder. Last month, Torres returned home and brought with him some of his Pensacola barkada. Talking with a slight twang, Torres looked like a typical "Amboy." He visited his folks in General Santos City and treated his pals to a good time in Manila. Then, he was recalled to the US for the Bay St. Louis fight.

Torres claimed he was thumbed in the right eye early in the seventh and couldn’t see. Coronel landed three straight uppercuts to open the round–apparently, a thumb poked Torres in the process. Referee Fred Steinwinder had no choice but to count out Torres.

Fight reports said Torres clowned around during the bout and seemed out of it. He yelled and made faces at fans. Torres’ concentration was shot. He was probably so out of condition that he thought of those antics to distract the audience and his opponent.

The win raised Coronel’s record to 20-16-1, with 16 KOs. Torres’ mark dipped to 22-3, with 13 KOs.

Torres, the reigning WBO Intercontinental junior bantamweight king, was coming off an eightH round disposal of Neddy (Little Guns) Garcia in New Haven, Connecticut. He won the WBO Intercontinental crown on a decision over highly-regarded Genaro Garcia of Mexico in February last year. Before beating Garcia, Torres outpointed previously undefeated Luis Alberto Perez of Nicaragua in Gulfport, Mississippi, on lopsided scores of 118-110, 119-108, and 117-110.

No doubt, Torres is talented and has the tools to become a world champion. But he’s got to focus–he’s got to get his act together–and he’s got to keep his head in place.

* * *

The good news is things are looking up for Orient and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) bantamweight champion Jess Maca of Bohol.

A day after Torres lost, Maca scored a split 12-round verdict over Ryuichi Minoriyama to retain his OPBF crown in Takasago City, near Kobe. Maca, the WBC No. 3 contender, is unbeaten in his last 13 outings and has won his last nine fights in Japan – all on points.

You know how difficult it is for a Filipino to win a decision in Japan but Maca has made a habit of it.

Maca, 29, is gunning for a crack at the WBC 118-pound title held by Thai Veerapol Sahaprom–the last man to beat him four years ago.

Minoriyama, whose father Shinosuke is married to his Filipina stepmother Cecil–Cebu businessman Tony Aldeguer’s former secretary–was coming off a first round knockout over Thai Yodsingh Chuvatana. He’d only been beaten once–by Filipino Jaime Barcelona in Cebu last March.

It wasn’t easy sailing for Maca. In the second round, Minoriyama landed a vicious right straight that opened a bad cut on Maca’s left eyebrow and left the Filipino shaky. Maca’s manager Florencio Rontal applied nail polish on the cut in between rounds and stopped the flow of blood. Rontal, who had adrenalin in his gym bag to use for cuts, decided to use nail polish instead.

In the end, Minoriyama was a picture of a battered fighter–blood poured freely from his busted nose and a cut on his right eyebrow. Scoring referee Bruce McTavish saw it 116-112 and judge Vic Rodriguez, 118-110, both for Maca. Judge Ichiro Uenaka scored it 117-116, as expected, for his countryman.

Rontal and his son Kenneth accompanied Maca to Takasago.

Rontal will bring Maca to the US on Oct. 8 "to test the waters." Rontal said he will base Maca in Ed Hynes’ home in Denver. Hynes was the same fireman who took in Ben Escobia and Arman Pedimonte, two Filipino fighters, last year. Escobia made the news when he fought and lost to Sydney Olympian Brian Viloria in Honolulu some months back. Pedimonte was halted by Danny Romero last November.

Rontal said last Sept. 5, four Filipino fighters–including one of his boys, Joseph Paden–left home to campaign in Denver. Then, last Sept. 11–the day of the New York attack–four more Mindanao beakbusters, headed by 35-year-old former Asian Games gold medallist Roberto Jalnaiz–departed to join the first wave.

If a fight comes Maca’s way in the US, Rontal said the OPBF champion will go for it.

Maca’s close to fighting for the world title. Rontal said his boy’s ready for Veerapol. Maca could just be the next Filipino world champion.