JIMBOY Haya of the Cebu City-based Omega Boxing Gym faltered in his bid to bring home a regional title after he absorbed a unanimous decision loss to Vic Saludar in the main event of the “Normin Glory 8” fight card last Friday night at the Bulua Covered Court in Bulua, Cagayan de Oro City.
The win netted Saludar the vacant WBO Oriental minimumweight title, scoring his second straight win after losing in a world title fight against Japanese Kosei Tanaka in Japan last year.
Saludar, a native of Polomolok, Cotabato del Sur, improved to 13W-2L-9KOs. Haya saw his two-fight win streak come to an end and fell 9W-3L-2D, 6KOs.
Two judges scored the bout at 119-107, 119-107, while the third judge had 118-108, all for Saludar.
Haya was floored in the second round and dug a deeper hole when he wrestled Saludar in the seventh round, prompting referee Danrex Tapdasan to slam a point deduction.