Dapudong loses world title bid

City of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico - The world flyweight title bid of the Philippines' Edrin "The Sting" Dapudong against Mexico's Hernan "Tyson" Marquez ended in a controversial fashion Saturday night as US-based Mexican referee Raul Caiz stopped the fight after a flash knockdown suffered by the Filipino challenger in the third round of the 12-round title fight.

 

Dapudong, 25, who was never been down before tonight's championship fight, was tagged by the Mexican champion with a left to the face as he was backing off early in the third sending him to the seat of his pants.

 

The Filipino stood up on his own right away and appeared unhurt. Caiz gave him the mandatory eight count but suddenly decided to wave off  Dapudong out of the fight to the surprise of the challenger's corner which included former North Cotabato governor Manny Pinol, trainer Bruce Lerio and veteran cornerman Nonito Donaire, Sr.

 

Dapudong was in control of the fight early on connecting crisp jabs to the face of the shorter champion. In the third, he caught the champion with combination to the body and pursued the Mexican titlist to the ropes only to back off as the champion counterpunched. The unofficial scorecard of TV Azteca showed Marquez winning the first round and Dapudong earning the second.

 

Marquez caught Dapudong with a left to the face sending the Filipino challenger to the canvas that ended in the stoppage of the fight.

 

"We can't say we could have won the fight but certainly, the stoppage was premature given the fact the this is a world championship fight. Dapudong was not even hurt or marked," said Pinol.

 

Dapudong, who appeared bewildered by the stoppage of the fight, said he was asked by Caiz whether he wanted to continue the fight and he said he told the referee "Yes."

 

A replay of the fight on Azteca TV of Mexico showed Dapudong nodding his head as Caiz was asking him whether he wanted to continue the fight. Caiz, however, waved off the Filipino challenger.

 

"I don't know why he stopped it," Dapudong, who did not even suffer a welt as a result of the punch that led to the knockdown.

 

Even the legendary Mexican boxing icon Julio Cesar Chavez, who was at ringside for the television coverage of the fight, later said he thought the fight was prematurely stopped.

 

He later posed with Dapudong in the lobby of Hoteles Lucerna after the fight.

 

Pinol said that the knockdown suffered by the champion Marquez in his fight against former champion Luis Concepcion of Panama was even worse but the fight was not stopped. Marquez came back to score three knockdowns and won the title from Concepcion.

 

Pinol said he has expressed his displeasure over the early stoppage of the fight but he had no plans of contesting the result.

 

"That's part of the realities you have to face when you fight in a foreign venue," Pinol said.

 

Saturday night's loss was Dapudong's fourth in 26 professional fights and his first by stoppage.(Carlos Bautista)

Dapudong camp worries about heat; Marquez concerned of hook

WBA Flyweight Championship

 

DAPUDONG CAMP WORRIES ABOUT HEAT;

CHAMP MARQUEZ CONCERNED OF HOOK

 

By Carlos Bautista 

City of Hermosillo, Mexico - With just a day remaining before Mexican champion Hernan "Tyson" Marquez defends his World Boxing Association (WBA) title for the first time against dangerous Filipino challenger Edrin "The Sting" Dapudong, both camps have showed concern of two factors that could affect the outcome of the fight.

 

For the Mexican champion, it is Dapudong's vaunted left hook that they are concerned with. And rightly so. In June last year, in spite of the short notice, the Filipino fighter used that left hook to knock out then No. 1 Mexican flyweight Jesus "Zurdo" Jimenez to win the World Boxing Council (WBC) flyweight silver title. 

 

While Dapudong lost that title by decision in September 2010, the video of that fight against Jimenez is all over the Internet and serves as a fair warning to the champion that the Filipino challenger, who again was informed of the fight only two weeks ago, is capable of scoring an upset.

 

Dapudong's camp, on the other hand, has expressed worries about the searing heat even at night in this city of 1 million people located right in the middle of the desert in Sonora, with the mercury hitting 105F during daytime.

 

"I went out of the hotel at 8:30 p.m. to buy slippers and the air was so hot I felt like I was standing beside a running diesel engine," said Dapudong's manager, former North Cotabato governor Manny Pinol.

 

Both camps, however, have an antidote for their perceived problems.

 

In public workout Thursday, Mexican champion Marquez, a southpaw, was seen keeping his right gloves high up apparently to cover his right face which could be vulnerable to the Filipino's left hook while throwing a lot of left straights and uppercuts.

 

"They have studied Bungis (Dapudong's nickname) a lot and they know that the left hook could flatten Marquez," said Bruce Lerio, Braveheart Boxing Club's assistant trainer who will be at the corner of the challenger, along with cutman Nonito Donaire, Sr., on fight night.

 

The Filipino camp, on the other hand, are prepared for the heat. Food with considerable amount of salt and chocolates, and electrolytes have been prepared for the Filipino challenger to take right after the weigh in.

 

ALA Boxing Promotions vice president Dennis Canete, Dapudong's promoter, has prepared three pails full of bottled water and ice for fight night.

 

While the Filipinos are prepared for a long fight, they have one other option: end the fight early.

 

With all bases seemingly covered by both camps, it will be seen on fight night who between them has prepared better for the perceived problems.(pr)

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