FORMER WBO world minimum weight champion Merlito “Tiger” Sabillo arrested his losing skid with an empathic win last Saturday in his hometown in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.
Sabillo scored a third round knockout victory against Indonesian journeyman Jack Amisa in their rematch to clinch the ABF light flyweight title held at the 888 Chinatown Mall in downtown Bacolod City.
The former ALA Boxing Gym stalwart now being promoted by former Games and Amusements Board (GAB) Chairman Juan Ramon Guanzon improved his record to 26 wins with 13 knockouts along with four losses and one draw while Amisa suffered his 43rd defeat with 21 wins, 14 knockouts and two draws.
The 33-year-old Sabillo already beat Amisa in their first encounter in November 2015 via unanimous decision in La Trinidad, Benguet.
Before his knockout victory against Amisa, Sabillo was coming off two straight losses to Japanese Riku Kano and Ryuya Yamanaka.
He became a world champion when he pulled off a huge upset by knocking out Colombian WBO minimum weight champion Luis Dela Rosa at the latter’s turf in 2013. He went on to defend the title twice before losing it to Mexican Francisco Rodriguez Jr. in 2014 in Monterrey, Mexico via a technical knockout.