Mayol keeps title after technical draw

MANILA, Philippines - Yesterday was a bleak day for Philippine boxing.

First, Rodel Mayol was knocked out with a punch that looked illegal, Marvin Sonsona was counted out after taking three solid blows, and Juanito Rubillar lost what appeared to be a hometown decision.

Mayol’s fight with Omar Nino Romero ended in a technical draw after the Filipino champion took a low blow and, as he reeled, absorbed a solid left to the face that sent him down and out in the third round.

The referee, Vic Drakulich, was about to step in and grab Romero by his arm because of the low blow when the knockout punch landed, and stunned the crowd at the Coliseum Olimpico in Guadalajara, Mexico.

As Mayol lay on the canvass, Romero’s camp whooped it up, thinking it was a clear knockout and that they had wrested the WBC flyweight crown from the Filipino. But it was ruled a technical draw, and not a KO.

As a result, Mayol kept the crown and may look forward to an immediate rematch. But not after he was taken to the hospital for some tests. He was found to be “okay,” according to his cutman, Dr. Ed dela Vega.

“Although he was hit hard on the jaw, there was no fracture in his jaw and his neck is fine. We are about to get back to our hotel from the hospital,” Dela Vega was quoted by philboxing.com as saying.

Some had thought that the fight should have been ruled a no-contest, but the WBC decided otherwise. While the referee could have jumped in after the low blow, Mayol should have protected himself “at all times.”

Mayol went home with a 26-4-2 with 20 knockouts while Romero dips to 28-3-2 with 11 knockouts.

Wilfredo Vasquez Jr. knocked out Sonsona, dubbed as the future of Philippine boxing, in the fourth round in the fourth round at the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon in Puerto Rico.

Sonsona, previously undefeated in 14 pro fights, jumped two weight divisions higher to fight Vasquez for the WBO super-bantamweight crown and ended up biting more than he can chew.

Vasquez is a legitimate super-bantamweight and it showed in his body, and his punches. He landed the heavier ones, and by the second round Sonsona had shown welts under his eyes.

In the fourth round, Sonsona did a Manny Pacquiao, leaning on the ropes and allowing himself to get hit. He took a big left to the body, a right straight to the face and another body blow.

The Filipino, who was sensational when he won the WBO super-flyweight crown last year in Canada, went down and never got up, kissing his bid for a second world title in different weight classes goodbye.

Vasquez, son of the great champion from Puerto Rico, celebrated after Sonsona was counted out. Later on, he got a hug from the Filipino fighter .

Vasquez improved to 18-0-1 while Sonsona slipped to 14-1-1.

Rubillar failed in his bid to win the IBO light-flyweight crown when he lost to South African Hekkoe Budler at the Emperors Casino, Kempton Park. Two judges had it for Budler, and the third round a tie.

Rubillar, a veteran with his 48-14-7 record, fought a gallant fight but fell short in his bid to impress the judges. Budler improved to 14-0.