Skill, Will, Precision, Toughness and Heart is the best way to describe this worthy championship Main Event fight that headlined the Stags Promotion card that was streamed live on Prime Stags Sports, Saturday night November 5th from the Talisay City Sports Complex in Cebu.
Undefeated Filipino rising star Kit Garces faced fellow countryman Ian Donaire for the vacant WBF Australasian Flyweight title in front of a capacity crowd and they most certainly did not disappoint. Early in their professional careers, both young fighters showed skill and traits of battle hardened and seasoned professionals.
This fight had the lot with Donaire down in the opening round from a vicious body attack from Garces who landed a pin point accurate crippling left rip and again in the third from a perfectly timed overhand right from the eventual champion who was himself down in the 8th and final round when Donaire mustered everything he had left in the tank knowing he needed a knock out to win the fight let his hands go and caught Garces resulting in a flash knock down.
Donaire showed just how much he wanted it and rallied back every time he looked to be in trouble throughout the entire fight often rocking Garces with speedy counter punching. At one point in the 3rd round, after being sent to the canvas by a bomb of an overhand right from Garces, Donaire beat the count but was in trouble. The referee in charge was seconds away from stepping in and waiving it away as Garces smelt blood in the water and was relentless in his attack having Donaire trapped on the ropes and in obvious trouble, but to his credit and non-human like toughness, Donaire countered again and again to stall the attack with seconds remaining in the round.
The 4th round saw Garces looking at his fuel gauge as the needle was almost on empty after putting the foot down in the 3rd in his attempt to finish Donaire off after flooring him with the overhand right. His weary opponent after such a brutal and punishing round in the one prior appeared fresh and ready go. This round not as frantic as previous rounds and a close one to call for the ringside judges.
In the later rounds, Garces must have pulled in to a petrol station and filled his tank because he was again running on all cylinders and fighting like it was round 1. Sharp, accurate and combination punching that was racking up the points, head body, body head and fighting at range which had Donaire lunging and unable to find his mark as he had in the earlier rounds.
The 8th and final round saw Donaire busier than earlier rounds and more on the front foot, walking Garces down who was happy to stay at distance behind his jab and outbox his opponent, then in a heated exchange, Bang! Donaire let his hands go and caught Garces who was down in flash knock down with about a minute to go in the round. Garces, up quickly and appeared unhurt, went back to work in a technical display of boxing until the final round.
This fight seriously had it all and a definite candidate for fight of the year. A deserved Main Event appearance for both boys who have a very big future ahead of them and who knows, perhaps we may be lucky enough to see them meet again at some point in the future.
WBF Australasian Flyweight Champion – Kit Ceron Garces
WBF Supervisor – Mr Alvin S. Go (Philippines)
Official Result- Kit Ceron Garces (PH) def Ian Donaire (PH) by way of Unanimous Points Decision (8/8)
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Photo Images courtesy of Bisayang Laagan of the Philippines