Francisco stops Endar in Blow-By-Blow thriller, cops Philippine Youth flyweight belt

MANILA, Philippines -- Albert Francisco stopped Dennis Endar in the eighth round to snatch the Philippine Youth flyweight crown during Manny Pacquiao Presents: Blow-By-Blow action-packed show Friday at the San Andres Sports Complex.

The end came at the 1:28 mark of the eighth round as Francisco rained punches on the fading Endar, forcing the referee to call a halt to the intense encounter between the promising 112-pounders.

It was a see-saw battle that had Francisco on the receiving end of Endar’s heavy blows to the head and body.

But owing to his superb conditioning, Francisco, fighting out the Johnny Elorde Stable, managed to weather each assault and fought back with his own combinations.

Early in the eighth, Endar, probably sensing that he had to win by stoppage, went on the attack and had Francisco on the retreat as the small but boisterous and appreciative crowd roaring in delight.

But Endar, representing MP Boxing Gym of Davao, simply could not sustain it and he got caught with Francisco’s well-timed connections to send him across his foe’s corner where he got pummeled until the third man stepped in.

The victory raised Francisco’s unbeaten slate to 12-0 with eight knockouts while the defeat dropped Endar’s slate to 6-2-1 with five wins inside the distance.

“A rematch could be underway,” exclaimed Marife Barrera, who heads Blow-By-Blow, the San Miguel Beer-supported weekly boxing program shown at 8:30 p.m. on ONE Sports channel.

Eight-division legend Manny Pacquiao, who resurrected Blow-By-Blow in late-2022, guarantees that more lively action will be seen in the coming months.

High-ranking officials of the City of Manila were in attendance during the slugfest.