Another Pinoy boxer is world king in Thailand

WHILE we weren't looking, another boxer with a big, big Filipino heart won a world title. In hostile territory at that, winning it in a Godforsaken place called Ayutthaya, Thailand.

I've always believed in the ability of our fighters to clinch crowns, whether here or overseas. Pancho Villa. Ceferino Garcia. Flash Elorde. Erbito Salavarria. Ben Villaflor. Frank Cedeno. Rolando Navarrete. Luisito Espinosa. Morris East. Manny Pacquiao. Nonito Donaire. Donnie Nietes. And many more.

Include Marlon Tapales, who became the latest Filipino to crown himself world champion only last Wednesday. It wasn't easy. Tapales was down twice in the fifth round after absorbing blistering body blows. Each time, though, he survived the scare with aplomb, not minding the pain, the humiliation, and an ego close to shattering levels.

Brushing the twin falls with a resolve to fight to the end, he came back mightily in the sixth. Landing a big right, Tapales broke the jaw of Thailand's Pungluang Sor Singyu.

But the defending champion Thai stood his ground, going down in defeat only after absorbing a rain of punishing punches in the 11th round.

Good thing the deposed champion couldn't beat the count of 10 as he became too weak to stand up and continue fighting.

Tapales himself said he thought the referee would declare him loser by knockout after he got floored a second time in the fifth.

“I really thought that the referee was going to stop the fight when I got knocked down twice,” said Tapales.

He said he was dedicating his victory to his countrymen, most especially President Duterte, formerly mayor of Davao. Both are from Mindanao; Tapales is from Lanao del Norte.

“This is especially dedicated to our beloved President Rodrigo Duterte,” said Tapales, who is handled by the world-renowned champion maker Rex “Wakee” Salud.

With his victory, Tapales became the country's fourth reigning world champion after Donaire, Nietes and Johnreil Casimero.

It also reinforced the Filpino boxer's tradition of rising from knockdowns to win by knockout after recent similar victories by Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo and King Arthur Villanueva.

And, yes, somehow, the win soothed our wounded feelings following Albert Pagara's recent 8th-round shock KO loss in California.