Tepora drops foe 4 times in first round blowout

CEBU, Philippines – Omega Gym stalwart Jhack ‘The Golden Boy’ Tepora hardly broke a sweat in decimating Bryan Capangpangan, dropping his hapless foe on the canvas four times on the way to a resounding first round TKO victory during  the main event of the second edition of  ‘Who’s Next?’ Pro Boxing Series bankrolled by Omega Sports Promotions International last Saturday night at the packed Robinsons Galleria Cebu atrium.

Aside from retaining his WBO Asia-Pacific Youth super bantamweight title and stretching his unbeaten streak to 18-0 now spiked with 13KOs, the 23-year-old Tepora also established himself as an emerging star of Philippine boxing.

Tepora first decked Capangpangan with a power right cross. Capangpangan quickly got up with a seemingly pretended confidence that he was unhurt only to be floored two more times by Tepora's wave of solid hooks to the head.

Capangpangan again managed to beat the count and keep fighting on but not for long as Tepora let loose another brutal combination capped by a telling left punch to the jaw that sent Capangpangan down at the seat of his pants for good.

Capangpangan tried his best to get back on his feet but referee Tony Pesons had witnessed enough to halt the carnage in 2:34 of the opening round.

“I did not expect to finish him that early and it was not in my game plan to knock him out in the first round,” said the WBO ranked No.12 Tepora. “I was preparing for a long fight but when I got the first knockdown, I immediately realized that I can already finish him off.”

OPSI Vice President Chad E. Cañares was all praises for Tepora but admitted that their ward must pass more tests before vaulting him to the bigger stage.

“Definitely, Jhack has the skills and the power but what are we developing from him now is his maturity,” said Cañares. “Well see, maybe we will give him his first foreign opponent when he climbed back to the ring either in September or October.”

In the supporting main event, Kenny Demecillo (11-3, 7KOs) barely kept his WBF Asia Pacific bantamweight belt with a split decision win over Mindanao brawler Eugene ‘Rambo’ Lagos (8-1, 5KOs).

On the other hand, former Olympian Mark Anthony Barriga passed his baptism of fire in the pro ranks with flying colors courtesy of a well-deserved unamious decision victory over fellow upstart Melvin Manangquil.

In the other featured bout, Christian Araneta (12-0, 10KOs) further cemented his status as rising KO artist after he stopped Charlie Cabilla in the first round. (FREEMAN)