ALA pug Paypa outpoints Redondo

Balamban, Cebu—Jimmy ‘Popeye’ Paypa of the ALA Gym scored a convincing ten-round unanimous decision win Wednesday night over the tough but outgunned Jason Redondo in the main event of ‘Bakbakan sa Balamban II.’

The adversaries traded heavy bombs in the early rounds. In the fourth round, Redondo suffered a knockdown when he dropped his guard to complain to Referee Teddy Alivio about being hit by low blows.

The action resumed when he got up and they continued to exchange hard shots but Paypa’s punches got stronger past the halfway mark. Paypa was deducted a point in the sixth round for another low blow.

Paypa changed tactics and employed a stick and move routine that confused Redondo and the former’s punch output and power increased as the rounds progressed. In the eighth, Paypa opened a cut on Redondo’s left eyelid which became his main target resulting in making a bloody mess out of Redondo’s face in the homestretch.

Paypa won handily by scores of 99-98, 99-89 and 98-90 to improve his record to 14W-2L, 4 KOs while Redondo dropped to 7-2-1, 6 KOs.

Meanwhile, the Jun Intor-Nelson Sandal fight was declared a technical draw when an accidental clash of heads resulted in an ugly gash on Intor’s right eyelid at the 59 second mark of the second round.

Yosuke Miyagawa beat Crispin Parba by majority decision. The scorecards read: Judge Arnie Najera – 56-56 and Judge Ben Necesario and scoring referee Teddy Alivio had it 57-55 and 57-56 respectively, for the Japanese. Parba was deducted a point in round 4 for an accidental headbutt and Miyagawa was also deducted a point in the 6th for excessive holding.

Jeo Santisima won by unanimous decision against Takaoki Noma of Japan in an entertaining brawl. The scores – 39-37, 40-37 and 40-36.

Kim Galon knocked down Marlou Talili in the sixth and final round and won by unanimous decision via scores of 58-56, 59-56 and 58-55.

In the opening bout of the night, Raul Yu beat Ritchnell Rosales by TKO in the 2nd round. Yu scored a knockdown in the opening round with a left hook. In the second, Rosales was pinned in a neutral corner and Yu unloaded a series of unanswered blows prompting Referee Ben Necesario to stop the fight.

The fans were also treated to an exhibition sparring session between former PABA and OPBF champion Roli Gasca and rising prospect Mark “Machete” Bernaldez.

The fights were held at the Balamban Sports Complex and presented by ALA Promotions. Matches were supervised by GAB-Cebu. Among the faces in the crowd were the ALA Gym’s two world champions – WBO lt.flyweight king Donnie Nietes and WBO minimumweight champ Merlito Sabillo. /correspondent Rene Bonsubre Jr.