By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Negrense boxer Herlan Sixto Gomez took home the Asian Boxing Federation (ABF) bantamweight belt after a fourth round stoppage win over veteran Wicha Phulaikhao at the Spaceplus Bangkok RCA in Thailand on Wednesday night, February 22.

This was the first professional boxing title of the Negros Occidental’s E.B. Magalona-native Gomez after failing to grab the World Boxing Association-Asia bantamweight belt last year.

After testing each other in the opening round, Gomez went to work in the second round as he scored two knockdowns on Phulaikhao, but the Thai boxer managed to beat the referee’s count.

Gomez continued his aggression in the third round with his vicious left and right combinations until he floored Phulaikhao anew for the third time, but the Thai managed to escape the count.

The Negrense boxer went for the kill in the fourth round as he unloaded numerous combinations on the Thai boxer until the former scored another knockdown. This time, the referee decided to stop the match at the 39-second mark of the round.

“Maraming salamat po Panginoon. Madamo man nga salamat sa tanan nga nag-suporta sakon. Nakaluy-an gid ‘ta,” the 23-year-old Gomez said in a Facebook post after the match.

With the victory, Gomez improved his impressive record to seven wins as opposed to one defeat. He also nailed his fourth knockout victory with his stoppage upset over Phulaikhao.

This was the Negrense boxer’s second consecutive victory after his second round technical knockout victory against Thai boxer Thanachai Khamoon last January at the same venue.

On the part of the 41-year-old Phulaikhao, who was known as Pigmy Kokietgym, his boxing record dropped to a 64-20-2 win-loss-draw, with 28 of his victories by way of stoppages.

This was the Thai boxer’s third defeat in his last four matches and second this year after he suffered a fifth round technical knockout defeat to Chinese Zhi Gang Zhang last January./ASC, WDJ