Filipino boxers score a triple victory in “Pinoy Pride 27: Duel in Dubai”

DUBAI MEDIA CITY, UAE - Sept. 11, 2014 - PRLog -- Filipino fighting machines, Genesis “Azukal” Servania, “King” Arthur Villanueva, and Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista, triumphed over their Latino counterparts in the recently concluded slugfest, “Pinoy Pride 27: Duel in Dubai” in the Dubai World Trade Center on Friday (Dubai time), made possible by the joint forces of premier network The Filipino Channel (TFC), ABS-CBN Sports channel Sports+Action, and ALA Promotions International.

In the main event, the undefeated 23-year old Servania knocked down his Mexican opponent, Jose “Matador” Cabrera, retaining his WBO Intercontinental Super Bantamweight title.  Servania proved to be an aggressive fighting machine as he threw combination after combination to put down his opponent.  At the end of the ninth round, Cabrera’s corner man called the match to a stop due to a cut under the boxer’s left eye that resulted to Servania’s victory.  Servania’s technical knock-out win places his record to 25 wins with no defeats, 11 of which came from his knock-out successes.  Servania beamed: “He (Cabrera) was tough but thank God I prevailed.  Thank you to all who supported and prayed for me.  To all the Filipinos in Dubai and back in the Philippines, para sa inyo po ang tagumpay na ito! (This victory is for all of you!)”

Villanueva, meanwhile, also gave his unyielding punches to score a winning split decision over Nicaraguan boxing beast, Henry “El Crespo” Maldonado, securing him the IBF International Jr. Bantamweight title.  Villanueva may have been careless after being knocked down during the second round but his determination and the support from screaming Filipino fans during the match made him tougher and made him throw even firmer punches that earned him the majority nod from the judges.  The final score revealed 117-110, 116-113 in favor of Villanueva and 114-113 for Maldonado.  Villanueva now stands with a still unbeaten record of 26 wins with 14 knockouts.  Villanueva dedicated his victory to all his supporters, especially the overseas Filipinos who watched him triumph over his adversary.  He said: “Sobra-sobra ang pasasalamat ko sa mga Pinoy na nanood ng laban.  Sobrang pinalakas ang loob ko ng mga cheers ng mga kababayan natin. (I’m very thankful to all the Filipinos who watched the fight.  Their cheers really pushed me to fight even harder.)”

The crowd favorite Bautista, also ran away with a majority technical decision win over Mexican boxer, Juan Jose “Piquet” Martinez with scores of 68-65, 67-65, and 66-66 in the non-title bout.  The crowd saw a fierce and aggressive duel as both fighters wanted to knock each other down.  Bautista saw the opportunity during the fifth round and was able to take down his foe.  But on the seventh round, the battle was brought to a halt due to a head clash that opened a huge cut in Bautista’s left eyelid.  The seasoned fighter, whose win served as his second Super Featherweight comeback, now holds a record of 36 wins, three losses with 26 knockouts.

A total of 4,000 avid boxing fans, mostly Filipinos, were in attendance to witness the historical event in Dubai including the Philippine Consul General, Frank Cimafranca and other dignitaries and celebrities.  Tickets were sold out and the organizers had to turn down hundreds.

ALA Promotions International President and CEO Michael Aldeguer shared his excitement over the successful run of the first Pinoy Pride series abroad and expressed his overwhelming gratitude to Filipinos who were present during the event.  He said: “This is only the first of many boxing events for ALA International in collaboration with ABS-CBN Sports+Action and TFC.  With the success of Duel in Dubai, we will continue to bring in and showcase the talents of our Filipino fighters to the world, where there are Filipinos.”


ABS-CBN Middle East Managing Director Edgardo Garcia affirms this and says that the Pinoy Pride series’ thrust is actually consistent with TFC’s mantra for its 20^th anniversary – ‘Galing ng Filipino.’  Garcia said: “This year, we bring forth our mission of being the Filipino’s indispensable companion overseas by highlighting values such as resilience (tatag ng loob) and pride (dangal) and proving to the world that the Filipino embodies these values.  Our Filipino fighters definitely showcased their skills during the fight and proved themselves as personifications of these values.”

Relive the biggest and grandest boxing match of the year, “Pinoy Pride 27: Duel in Dubai” via TFC’s male channel, BRO channel on Saturday, September 13 (4:30 a.m. Pacific time, 2:30 p.m. Riyadh time, 1:30 P.M. Milan time, and 9:30 p.m. Sydney time or Australian Eastern Standard Time/AEST) with replays on Monday, September 15 (9:00 a.m. Riyadh time, 8:00 A.M. Milan time, 4:00 p.m. Sydney time or AEST, and 11:00 PM on Sunday, September 14, Pacific time).
Boxing fans may also catch the historical Duel in Dubai via TFC’s internet protocol service (IPTV) and official online service, TFC.tv.


Connect with fellow global Filipinos, visit www.facebook.com/TFCMiddleEast or follow @KapamilyaTFC on twitter and Instagram for more updates. (With additional reports from abs-cbnnews.com, photos by Buddy dela Cruz)