‘Syutukil’ for Suico

CEBU–There was no "shoot to kill" order to liquidate Thai challenger Muangfahlek Kiatwichean but Orient and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) superfeatherweight champion Randy Suico mowed him down just the same with a barrage of blows that seemed as lethal as machine gun fire in their duel at Lapu Lapu City here last Wednesday.

At the weigh-in the day before, Suico was right on the button. He tipped the scales at 130 pounds, the superfeatherweight limit, on his first try. Muangfahlek was a pound over but shed it off after 20 minutes of calisthenics.

Suico’s trainer Juanito Ablaca said it was an ordeal to make the weight. Suico hadn’t fought in nearly six months and sweated off 15 pounds in over a month to hit 130. No wonder he gorged himself with food after the weigh-in. The eating binge appeared to slow him down in the fight. Ablaca said Suico’s reflexes were slow.

The morning of the bout, Suico had two platefuls at the Waterfront Hotel-Mactan breakfast buffet. His first plate was a mixture of longganisa, tocino, danggit and fried rice. His second was a mountain of rice covered by bacon strips.

Suico’s manager Joe Koizumi couldn’t believe his eyes at the breakfast table. "What an appetite," he marveled as Suico wiped his plates clean.

Suico tried to justify his second plateful, saying beef is good for the body anyway. Someone forgot to tell Suico that bacon is cured pork.

After breakfast, Koizumi joined Suico in walking up and down the hotel corridors to digest his food. Koizumi had nothing to eat so he had nothing to digest. He went along for the walk with Suico and Ablaca.

For lunch, Suico feasted on seafood at a popular "syutukil" row of eateries in the Punta Engano district near the Mactan shrine. "Syutukil" stands for sugba (ihaw), tola (sinigang) and kilaw (raw seafood in vinegar).

"Fistorama" producer Edgardo (Boy) Cantada, his golf champion son Gerard, broadcaster Ed Picson, Ralph Sta. Ana, Omar de Guzman and I had lunch in an eatery beside where Suico ate. We missed Al Mendoza and Taby Tabaniag on the broadcast panel–they couldn’t make the trip due to commitments in Manila. Boy ordered crabs, shrimp, scallops, fish and sinigang. Gerard brought lechon from another place to complete the menu. If Suico had even half of what was on our table, he wallowed in a royal meal.

I was tempted to sneak into the restaurant where Suico ate, to check on his intake. But I decided to keep that a mystery. Poor Suico. He starved himself for over a month. He deserved this luxury.

I’m sure Suico will watch his weight more carefully next time because an eating binge the day before and the day of the fight could only weigh him down. It was evident that Suico had neither the handspeed nor the footspeed to dazzle Muangfahlek. His power, however, made all the difference.

Suico could’ve wasted the Thai anytime he wanted–even in the first round. He toyed with him in the early going to work up a sweat then went for the kill. It was "shoot to kill" starting the fourth round as Suico stalked his prey like a hunter with a shotgun. A brutal combination of a right uppercut, a right cross and a left hook sent Muangfahlek down for good. The force of the blows was so devastating that the Thai’s head was draped over the bottom rope strand, hanging close to the edge of the ring apron.

Koizumi admitted the fighter was slow and has a lot more work to do in the gym before reaching a level where he will be competitive against World Boxing Council (WBC) superfeatherweight champion Marco Antonio Barrera.

Koizumi said he wants to transform Suico into a boxer-puncher in the Alexis Arguello mold.

"If he fights a boxer, he will be a puncher," said Koizumi. "If he fights a puncher, he will be a boxer. Randy is deadly against a puncher because he likes to mix it up and he’s a good counterpuncher. He’s still a little tense in throwing the left jab which he should use to set up his killer right. He has to be more loose in the shoulders."Two-time world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, incidentally, was in town to watch Suico’s demolition of Muangfahlek. He flew in with wife Jinkee from General Santos City to witness the fight beside Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza and promoter Rex (Wakee) Salud.

Pacquiao is the WBC’s No. 2 contender in the superfeatherweight (formerly known as junior lightweight) division. Erik Morales is rated No. 1 and Suico, No. 3.

At ringside were GAB chairman Eric Buhain, former world titlists Joma Gamboa, Dodie Boy Peñalosa and Malcolm Tuñacao and OPBF minimumweight ruler Rodel Mayol.

The Suico-Muangfahlek main event capped Salud’s 64-round card billed "Kadaugan Sa Mactan" to commemorate Lapu-Lapu’s victory over Portuguese invader Ferdinand Magellan on April 27, 1521. Over 5,000 fans packed the Lapu Lapu Sports Complex to witness the night of fireworks.

In other fights, World Boxing Association No. 1 minimumweight contender Eriberto (Yukka) Gejon stopped Namchai Taksinisarn of Thailand at 1:29 of the second, Roel Mangan outpointed J. R. Sollano in 10, Louie Bantigue stopped William Macas at 2:55 of the third, Gabriel Pumar halted Emer Barrientos at 2:45 of the fourth, Alex Aroy outpointed Allan Dugang in eight, Apol Suico outpointed Dodong Salde in four and Alvin Mundala outpointed Jomar Matbagon in four.