Mayol loses fight, title to Mexican Romero

For the second time, Filipino boxer Rodel Mayol couldn’t get the job done against Mexican rival Omar Nino Romero. His first match ended in a technical decision, Mayol lost a more painful setback, this time via a controversial unanimous decision against the Mexican slugger Saturday (Sunday in Manila) in San Juan del Rio, Queretaro, Mexico. The first of their two bouts saw Mayol ending up in stretcher after he received a low blow from Romero. The second bout had the Filipino dominating, but fading down the stretch. As a result, Mayol lost his World Boxing Council (WBC) light flyweight championship to Romero, who won in all three judges scorecards, 115-112, 117-109 and 115-111. It was the second time Romero won a world championship and the second against a Filipino. Romero was the conqueror of former Filipino world champion, Brian Viloria. The Mexican had to relinquish the crown after testing positive for amphetamines in the rematch. Mayol, who is promoted by Manny Pacquiao Promotions, began the fight in a disciplined manner, taking full use of his height and reach advantage. Romero circled and tried to land wildly from the outside, but missed a lot of them. The first meaningful punch of the fight landed in the third when a counter left hook from Mayol opened up a cut on Romero's right eye. Looking to capitalize, Mayol began to bull Romero to the ropes and land to the body and head. Head butts began to mar the fight in the fourth as both men started to lunge from the outside with their heads low. Romero seemed to get the worse of the clashes and appeared to be distracted momentarily by the butts. The head butts continued into the fifth and opened up a bad cut on Romero's left eye. As per Mexican rules, the combatant that wasn't cut (Mayol) had a point deducted despite the absence of intent. A ringside doctor was summoned to check out Romero but deemed the challenger fit to continue. Shortly before the end of the round, Romero was warned for head butting as well. The action became less of a boxing match and more of a brawl in the sixth as both men began trading in close quarters. Mayol's uppercuts, which were his most effective weapons in the first fight, began to find their target and so did Romero's body assault. Head clashes reappeared in the seventh as the ring doctor was once more summoned to examine Romero. The tide turned big time for Romero in the eighth as he began to make the fight more physical. In what was a near flashback of the first fight. Mayol reacted to a punch south of the border from Romero and found himself on the receiving end of a torrent of blows from the hungry challenger. Romero landed several unanswered blows as Mayol struggled to compose himself. In the ninth round, Romero continued to seize the initiative and land cleaner counter hooks from the outside. Mayol's accuracy and confidence seemed to disappear by the second as the partisan crowd continued to chant "Nino!" Needing a big finish, Mayol's accuracy returned in the form of his right crosses that knocked some sweat off Romero in the opening moments of the final stanza and pushed him back to the ropes. Romero closed the round stronger with left hooks and both men raised their hands in anticipation of victory at the final bell. Romero raised his record to 29-3-2 (11 KO). Mayol is now 26-5-2 (20 KO) and 1-4-2 (1 KO) in world title matches. - RCJ, GMANews.TV