DUBAI – The morning after, they shared the breakfast table – the Pagara brothers, Jason and Albert, Jimrex Jaca and reigning world champion Donnie Nietes.
Boxing, of course, was on top of the menu.
Jason and Jimrex talked about the fight they went through barely 12 hours since, saying if not for the fans, it would have been twice more difficult.
Jimrex was tested by Mexico’s Pablo Montiel and was on the verge of being knocked out at the halfway mark of their scheduled eight-rounder.
But the fans came to his rescue, chanting his name, egging him on.
“Pag nadinig mo ang fans parang lumalakas ka (When you hear the fans it gives you strength),” said Jimrex, who once chased the world title.
He managed to last the fight against Montiel, armed with a vicious hook, and landed his own good shots, including uppercuts, to win on points.
Jason had an equally difficult time against Ramiro Alcaraz, and it was bloody.
Jason suffered a cut in the corner of his left eye right in the opening round due to a clash of heads, and the referee, Ver Abainza, found reason to deduct a point on the Mexican.
The 23-year-old Filipino shook it off in the next couple of rounds, trading good, heavy blows with Alcaraz, the bigger fighter inside the ring.
The crowd rallied behind Pagara.
Punches were thrown after the bell sounded ending the sixth round, and Alcaraz was once again deducted a point.
In the eighth, there was another clash of heads, causing the cut on Pagara’s left eye to worsen. Ring physician Nasser Cruz was called in and ordered the stoppage.
The fight went to the scorecards, and with the two deductions on Alcaraz, Pagara came out the winner in the eyes of the judges (77-73, 76-74, 78-72).
“Gusto ko pa lumaban pero may tama na ako (I wanted to fight on but I was injured),” said Pagara at the center of the ring as the crowd cheered him on.
Nietes, the WBO junior-flyweight champion, talked about his next fight that should take place in November, either in Bacolod City or here in Dubai.
Talks are also on regarding an offer for him to fight in Japan.“Kahit saan (Anywhere),” said Nietes.
Super-bantam Larry Abarra broke the ice for the Philippines Friday with a fast and furious knockout of his Indonesian opponent, Tony Arema.
Abarra, originally from Olongapo but now a resident of Dubai, needed only 54 seconds and a solid left hook to knock Arema out. – Abac Cordero