EUMIR FELIX MERCIAL boxed with a nasty cut near the corner of his right eye but despite blood flowing down his cheek, he remained a warrior atop the ring and beat American Steve Pichardo via unanimous decision for his third straight victory as a pro Sunday in Carson City, California.
It was a non-title six-rounder for the Tokyo Olympian who fought with more savvy than his previous two professional fights to earn the nod of judges James Green, Ivan Guillermo and Ellis Johnson. He got identical scores of 60-54.
“I would like to thank God for keeping us safe and for giving me the win,” Marcial posted on his social media account. “So thankful to the millions of Filipinos around the world who prayed for me and to those who watched my fight.”
The Marcial-Pichardo duel was on the same fight card as the Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas-Fernando Daniel Martinez duel, but Ancajas bowed to the Argentinian anew to lose his bid to regain the International Boxing Federation super flyweight belt he lost to the same opponent earlier this year.
An accidental head butt from the American in the second round caused that nasty cut but it wasn’t serious enough for the referee to stop the contest.
“After being hit suddenly by an accidental headbutt, I couldn’t see with my right eye because of the the blood,” he said. “But I was able to find a way and we’re able to handle it although it’s not 100 percent.”
Five stitches were required to close the cut.
“We had a good game plan … unlike the previous bout [against Isiah Hart],” he added. “I hit him with solid punches and he was a little bit groggy, but I couldn’t follow it up because the blood on my right eyebrow was flowing.”
Marcial said he was thankful to Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino who called him after the fight.
“I was surprise with the call and I am very thankful to Mayor Bambol for calling me after the fight,” he said.
The 26-year-old Zamboanga City pride—owner of four Southeast Asian Games gold gold medals but more importantly a bronze medalist in last year’s Olympics— pummeled Pichardo in the fifth and sixth round where he piled up points to emerge as the clear winner.
Marcial was the dominant fighter in the fifth round as he battered the 6-foot-1 American from Gardena, California, with uppercuts and and combinations.
It was a different Marcial who showed up on Sunday, unlike in his second pro fight when he had to buck three knockdowns before beating another American who’s taller at 6-foot-2, Isiah Hart, with a fourth round technical knockout win last April in Las Vegas.
Coached by Jorge Capetillo, the 5-foot-8 Marcial sent Pichardo to his third loss for an 8-3-1 win-loss-draw record with two knockouts.
ANCAJAS BOWS TO MARTINEZ ANEW
JERWIN “PRETTY BOY” ANCAJAS took an ugly result of his rematch with Fernando Daniel Martinez to lose his bid to regain the International Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight title he yielded to the Argentinian last February 16 in Las Vegas.
Ancajas came out scorching in the first, second and fifth rounds but couldn’t sustain his attack and absorbed another unanimous decision loss to Martinez.
The 31-year-old Martinez, a veteran of the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics, was the more aggressive in the later rounds to get 119-109, 118-110 and 118-110 scores from the three judges.
Ancajas, 30, got the crowd to its feet when Martinez hit the canvas in the 11th round. The referee, however, ruled it as a slip.
The boxer from Panabo City was a gentleman in the loss. After taking a bow, he congratuled the camp of Martinez, who remained spotless in 15 fights with with eight knockouts).
“I will rest first,” Ancajas, who suffered his third defeat in 37 bouts (33-3-2 record with 22 knockouts) told BusinessMirror via internet message. He didn’t attend the post-fight press conference for the mandatory medical checkup.