Apolinario crowned IBO champ

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino Dave Apolinario walked into Gideon Buthelezi’s own territory in East London, South Africa and scored an impressive first-round knockout to win the vacant International Boxing Organization (IBO) flyweight title at the International Convention Centre late Friday.

The 23-year-old Apolinario clipped Buthelezi with a thunderous left straight with exactly 10 seconds left in the first round and sent the South African fighter down. Buthelezi tried to get up and paused on one knee but was eventually counted out by the referee.

After the referee signalled the end of the fight, Apolinario and his cornermen erupted into a wild celebration inside the ring.

The rousing victory was the 17th in as many bouts for Apolinario, 12 of them by way of knockout.

The rising star out of Maasim in Sarangani knew he needed to win convincingly to avoid a hometown decision.

“I need to knock him out in order to surely win,” said Apolinario, nicknamed “Doberman,” in a report by Philboxing.com.

Apolinario is the only world boxing champion from the Philippines today after Jerwin Ancajas, Nonito Donaire, Rene Cuarto and Mark Magsayo lost their world titles one after the other this year.

John Riel Casimero was stripped of his WBO bantamweight title last December or three months after Manny Pacquiao announced his retirement.