Cebu’s Jimenez beats Brillo, wrests GAB Youth minimumweight belt

John Kevin Jimenez (wearing the GAB belt) poses for a group photo after beating Jayson Brillo in Passi City, Iloilo. | Photo from Passi City LGU

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu’s John Kevin Jimenez of the Chao Sy Boxing Stable staged a huge upset after beating MP Boxing Stable’s prospect Jayson Brillo in the main event of the “Manny Pacquiao Presents Blow-by-Blow” fight card at the City of Passi Arena in Iloilo on February 9. 

He defeated the heavily favored Brillo by unanimous decision. All three judges scored the bout 96-94, all in favor of Jimenez. 

The victory for the 19-year-old Jimenez, a former amateur standout, kept his record unblemished in seven fights, along with three knockouts. 

On top of that, he wrested the Games And Amusement (GAB) Youth Philippine minimumweight title after beating Brillo in their 10-rounder bout. 

It was Jimenez’s second time fighting in Passi City, Iloilo. In September last year, Jimenez won by unanimous decision against Ramcie Mondala in an eight-rounder non-title bout. 

Jimenez has come a long way since he debuted as a pro in 2022. He’s making a name as one of the newest prospects coming out of Cebu City. 

In his amateur years, Jimenez was a bemedalled pug winning multiple gold medals in various meets such as Batang Pinoy, Philippine National Games, and Palarong Pambansa. 

Before turning pro, he bagged a gold medal in the Palarong Pambansa VisMin Boxing Cup in 2022, held in Cebu City. 

Meanwhile, Brillo suffered his second defeat in nine bouts. He now has seven wins with six knockouts, two losses, and one draw.

It was Brillo’s second consecutive loss since his May 2023 defeat against Japanese Shokichi Iwata in Tokyo via a sixth-round technical knockout. 

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