Gabuco, Petecio whip Uzbek foes

MANILA, Philippines - Veterans Josie Gabuco and Nesthy Petecio stamped their mark on their respective Uzbek rivals to advance in the ASBC Asian Women’s Boxing Championships at the Wulanchabu Sports Gymnasium in Wulanchanbu, China last Saturday.

Gabuco, the  2012 AIBA world champion, took three rounds to dispose of Atakulova Gulasal of Uzbekistan. While the Filipina was obviously in charge from the get-go, Gulasal tried to make a fight of it but paid dearly as Gabuco caught her several times with left hooks.

By the second round, the Palawan lass, who won her fourth SEA Games gold last June in Singapore, sustained her attacks, alternating hooks and straights to the head of her hapless Uzbek rival, who was given a standing eight-count towards the end of the round.

It was more of the same in the third with Gabuco connecting with more short right straights and cracking left hooks that prompted the referee to give two more standing eight-counts to seal the deal for a TKO victory for the PLDT-ABAP boxer.

Petecio, on the other hand, faced an aggressive Aziza Yakubova, who constantly tried to rush the Filipina in an effort to dictate the pace of the fight.

But the Davao del Sur fighter countered with right hooks that jolted the Uzbek, who also received a standing eight-count twice in the opening round.

Petecio needed just 30 seconds in the second round to earn another TKO win for the Philippine team.

On opening day, Irish Magno won a decision over AIBA World Youth champion Lin Yu Ting of Chinese-Taipei in a fight that lasted all four rounds.