CEBU CITY – World-rated boxer Mchanja Yohana came for redemption but ended up getting a neat lesson in ring execution from one of the country’s boxing sensations.
Boholano boxer Regie “The Filipino Phenom” Suganob outclassed the Tanzanian Yohana en route to a dominant unanimous decision (UD) win in the main event of “Kumong Bol-Anon 23” on Saturday night, Nov. 22, at the PMI Bohol Main Campus gym in Tagbilaran City.
Suganob showed no signs of rustiness in his first fight in almost a year, displaying an impressive outing to earn the nod of the three judges, who all saw the hometown fighter winning all but one of the 10 rounds for an identical scores of 99-91.
“I wanted to go for a knockout but he wouldn’t engage. He would run or clinch when I hit him with a solid shot,” said Suganob, a former world title challenger who improved to 17W-1L, 6KOs.
Yohana acknowledged Suganob’s power. He hobbled several times after taking solid shots in the one-sided match.
“He told me after the fight “power, power.” He was hinting that he really refused to engage because of my power,” Suganob said in dialect.
Suganob’s promoter, Atty. Floriezyl Podot, President and CEO of PMI Bohol Boxing Promotions, said the victory enabled his prized ward to stay on track to contend for a world title next year.
“The goal was to end the year with a win then probably by February next year, get a world-rated opponent for him so we could then request (from the World Boxing Organization) for a title eliminator fight,” Podot said.
There will be a lot of options for Suganob next year as he is also top-rated in other boxing bodies. The 28-year-old flyweight contender is ranked No. 4 in the WBO, No. 9 in the World Boxing Council, and No. 11 in the International Boxing Federation.
Yohana, on the other hand, faltered anew fighting on Philippine soil and saw his eight-fight winning streak come to an end to fall to 22W-7L-1D, 15KOs.
The 27-year-old Yohana, the current WBO Global flyweight champion, came into the fight looking to avenge his unanimous decision loss to Milan Melindo last Dec. 29, 2023 at SM Seaside City Cebu.
In the co-main event, Leonard Pores III, Suganob’s stablemate at PMI Bohol Boxing Gym, snatched IBF Youth flyweight crown by beating Cebu-based Japanese fighter Kiyoto Narukami via UD.
Also, Sherwin Dacullo of the NPF Boxing Stable scored shocker after defeating PMI’s Freshler Utrera via UD s to claim the Philippine Youth minimumweight title. (Calvin D. Cordova)
