Palicte falls to Garnica in US bout

Aston Palicte (left) congratulates Anthony Garnica (right) after their fight. | Screen grab from WBC’s live streaming

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Former two-time world title challenger Aston “Mighty” Palicte suffered a tough setback after being stopped by undefeated American prospect Anthony Garnica in their National Boxing Association (NBA) Inter-Continental bantamweight title bout at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California on Saturday, April 19 (April 20 Manila Time).

The 34-year-old Palicte succumbed to a third-round technical knockout (TKO) in the 40-second mark of the round after absorbing a flurry of powerful punches from the 24-year-old Garnica, prompting the referee to halt the contest.

This marked Palicte’s fourth straight loss abroad. Two of those defeats happened in the United States—against Katsuma Akitsugi and Jose Salas Reyes—while the other came at the hands of Jason Moloney in Australia during a pair of regional title bouts in 2022.

Palicte now holds a record of 28 wins (23 by knockout), seven losses, and one draw.

Meanwhile, Garnica preserved his unbeaten record, improving to 12 wins (seven knockouts) and one draw.

FIERY SLUGFEST

From the opening bell, Garnica immediately brought the fight to Palicte, engaging him in a fiery slugfest. The Filipino veteran, known for his ring savvy and power, welcomed the exchanges, drawing cheers from the crowd with his gutsy counters.

Palicte showed better form in the second round, landing crisp uppercuts and hooks in a more tactical approach.

However, Garnica responded with precision and power of his own, eventually landing a solid one-two combination that shook Palicte and sent him to the canvas with a punishing body shot.

Despite the knockdown, Palicte beat the count and bravely fought on. Garnica, sensing he had the edge, pressed the action with relentless combinations, but Palicte managed to survive the round.

In the third round, Palicte momentarily turned the tide by dropping Garnica with a clean right straight. The American quickly got back on his feet, seemingly unfazed, and immediately went on the offensive.

With renewed urgency, Garnica unleashed a vicious barrage that had Palicte reeling and pinned against the ropes. Although the Filipino briefly escaped the corner, Garnica continued to pour on the pressure with unanswered combinations, forcing the referee to step in and stop the fight.