Justine Gatillo Darap vs. Carlo Pepito Demecillo & Jessie Cris Morales Rosales vs. Mioto Noguchi RBR

Official cards:

77-75 Cannu Jr.
78-74 Auxilio
76-76

Split draw

 

Due to all the seat-hopping I didn't catch every second of this, but that seems a fair result and sets up a more than welcome rematch. Their styles meshed well.

 

Going by the FB Live time counter, this feed has been chugging along for nearly six hours ahead of the main event ring walks. Ten bout undercard.

 

Justine Gatillo Darap vs. Carlo Pepito Demecillo, 10 rounds @ bantamweight

 

This is for the PBF (that is, Philippines Boxing Federation - not Pretty Boy Floyd ) vacant 118lbs title - last held by Kenneth "The Lover Boy" Llover but vacated earlier this year to pursue WBC regional baubles.

 

Round 1

Demecillo is standing fixed in place, watching and observing. Darap is popping a high double jab and then driving a left cross into the body of his orthodox opponent. Demecillo patient almost to a fault, showing a perfunctory jab and right hand to chase Darap out, but unnecessarily as the southpaw isn't lingering for long after landing his strikes through or around the guard. Things heat up in the last ten seconds, both winging some wide looping punches in the pocket, clanging against each other's ears.

10-9 Darap, only man doing meaningful work so far (at least for 90% of the round)

 

Carlo Demecillo has fought the overall superior competition but has never been able to get that clutch signature win, going 16-8-2 (9) in his career to date.

Justine (pronounced like Justin, btw) "The Philippine Tiger" Darap has also lost to all of his best opponents, and comes in 11-4.

 

Two zip Darap, cleaner and more active.

 

Are neither of the commentators aware that BoxRec exists? They keep fumbling through guesses about basic biographical information they could look up in 2 seconds.

The girl says she thinks they are about the same height but just look different due to Demecillo's style being more upright and Darap's more slouching. That is true about their postures, but they also happen to be 5'6" and 5'3" respectively.

The guy then says he believes Darap is "probably much younger than Demecillo". 25 & 27, bro.

 

The love of my life is back with the Round 4 ring card.

30-27 Philippine Tiger (Demecillo is picking it up but mostly whiffing long right hands at the body)

 

Aesthetically pleasing sustained body shot warfare, just like the co-main event. Slight edge to Darap there, but when they step apart he is eating the longer & taller boxer alive with accurate jabs splitting the wrists and looping lead lefts around the guard. Demecillo is able to graze him with a right hand but is mostly missing when headhunting and has wisely switched his focus to flooding the basement (although he's getting the slight worse in that department as well, just by a much narrower margin).

HUGE combo by Demecillo at the bell, catching Darap pulling out with a stray line drive right and following up with some hooks and hammering downward blows on a ducking Darap (some of them incidental rabbit punches).

...by Jove, I think Demecillo might've actually stolen that one!

39-37 Darap

 

HOLY ****!!! There's a delay in Darap getting off his stool, Demecillo pacing around waiting for the 5th to start as the ref goes over to check.

...and that's it! He quits!

RTD4!!!!!

 

That is absolutely crazy. Being punished for a mistake in positioning with a mere fifteen second beating (with the bell saving him before it could really get all that bad) was enough to erase all his pent up confidence from being the clearly better fighter for three and a half rounds.

More like Paper Tiger... disappointing lack of heart.

Demecillo is over the moon though, so good for him. Seems a nice kid.

 

Demecillo lost probably 11 of 12 minutes completed, and his face is marked up like a dyslexic kid's book report, but he looks so chuffed to be awarded his new PBF strap.

edit: regain, actually. He knocked out Margarito Manatad Moya, Jr. for the same vacant belt way back in 2018.