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Source: Gerry Carpio, philstar.com

-- Charly Suarez unleashed the fury of his fists right in the first round, peppering his lowly opponent from Timor Leste with a barrage of shots before flooring him with a wicked hook to give the fighting boxing team an impressive victory at the start of the Southeast Asian Games boxing competitions yesterday at the National University boxing gymnasium.

Suarez went on the offensive early, delivering blows with rapid succession as he turned his unseasoned opponent Otnel Negrito Manuel Batisia into a punching bag. He was ahead, 12-0, before a hook finally sent his foe from the new independent state of Indonesia to the canvas midway in the opening canto.

Hardly breaking a sweat after the victory, the 21-year-old Suarez, from Panabo, Davao del Norte, did several rounds of skipping rope at the Philippines’ dressing room before putting on his blue-and-white team uniform.

“He’s our brightest prospect for the gold,” said national head coach Pat Gaspi.

Earlier, Bill Vicera, almost out of the medal race for good even before competitions could begin, lived up to his billing as another medal prospect with a 7-5 victory over Malaysian Muhamadfud MohRezuan in the pinweight (445kg) category.

His event was scrapped on the eve of the competitions on directives of the International Boxing Federation (AIBA), which is disallowing competition in the event since it is not part of the Olympic calendar.

Vicera, 27, connected with two solid blows to break a 5-5 tie after the second round and kept his Malaysian rival at bay with hit-and-run, hit-and-duck approach to preserve the victory.

The 27-year-old find from Bago City advanced to tomorrow’s semifinals against Cambodian VenDiaman, who drew a bye.

If he wins tomorrow, Vicera goes for the gold either against Vietnamese Huynh Ngoc Tan or Laotian SikhamVongpajkhoun.

The twin wins made up for the loss an hour later of veteran Joan Tipon, who bowed anew to King’s Cup conqueror ChatchaiBudee, 4-9, in the bantamweight (54 kg) division.

The left-handed Thai, who was adjudged most outstanding boxer of the King’s Cup last April, paraded a physique and style so much like that of boxer Manny Pacquiao, delivering wicked left straights that widened the score to what it was in the end after a 5-4 count.

Tipon, a veteran of five SEA Games, appeared utterly devastated from the loss until Ed Picson, team manager and secretary general of the boxing association, came over to the dressing room to give him some consoliing words.