Esneth Domingo (left) and Nhlanhla Tyirha (third from left) waiting for the official decision of their bout in South Africa. | Screen grab from Domingo’s Facebook live video.
CEBU CITY, Philippines—Filipino boxers seem to have a tough time winning in South Africa, especially against South African boxer Nhlanhla Tyirha.
This after Esneth Domingo lost via unanimous decision to Tyirha at the International Convention Centre in East London on Sunday, May 29, 2022.
After 10-rounds, the three South African judges favored Tyirha. Judges Sithembile Tom and Simphiwe Mbini both scored it 97-93, while Lulama Mtya saw the bout at 96-94 for Tyirha.
The 23-year-old Domingo of Lebak, Sultan Kudarat suffered his second defeat against 16 wins, eight by knockouts. Tyirha extended his winning streak to three and now has a record of 7-1 (win-loss) with two knockout wins.
Domingo is the third Filipino Tyirha defeated in a span of a year in South Africa. In May 2021, he defeated world title challenger Joey Canoy via unanimous decision followed by another victory against Jaysever Abcede in October 2021.
The perils of Filipino boxers in South Africa isn’t new. In 2021, Christian Araneta, Jonathan Almacen, and Jerald Paclar also lost to South African contenders in South Africa.
READ: Canoy fails WBA light fly title bid, loses to South African foe by decision
READ: Almacen, the fourth Pinoy boxer to lose in South Africa in a month
In a live video posted on Domingo’s Facebook account, the bout seemed closer than the judges’ score cards.
From the opening to the final round, Domingo was the more aggressive boxer. He pinned Tyirha numerous times against the ropes, launching combinations to the head and body.
Tyirha relied on his counter-punching prowess, which mostly connected. He managed to connect his jabs to distance himself against Domingo, who kept moving forward.
In the middle rounds, Domingo targeted Tyirha’s body with timely combinations. Once Tyirha lowered his guard to protect his body, Domingo shifted his punches to the head.
Despite getting hit with Domingo’s power punches, Tyirha managed to land counter-punches and jabs while circling the ring.
The same scenario continued in the remaining rounds, with Domingo moving forward.
/bmjo
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