Apolinario knocked out by Chinese underdog
Dave Apolinario sits on the corner after getting knocked down by Longyi Hu. | Photo from Robin Wong.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Former world title challenger Dave “Dobermann” Apolinario suffered a stunning third-round knockout loss to unheralded Chinese boxer Longyi Hu on Tuesday night, April 22, at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
What was meant to be part of Apolinario’s comeback trail following his knockout defeat in his world title bid last year turned into another major setback.
The 26-year-old from General Santos City was hoping to bounce back from his loss to Mexico’s Angel Ayala Lardizabal for the vacant IBF flyweight title. Instead, he absorbed the second defeat of his professional career, which now stands at 21-2 (14 KOs).
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Hu, who previously lost to several Filipino boxers, flipped the script and improved his record to 9-2-2 (5 KOs) with the biggest win of his career so far.
The fight began in Apolinario’s favor, with the Filipino southpaw unloading heavy artillery in the opening round. Many in the Korakuen crowd expected an early stoppage as Apolinario overwhelmed Hu with powerful combinations, nearly sending the Chinese fighter to his knees.
But Hu weathered the early storm.
In the second round, the tide began to shift. Hu started landing clean punches of his own, forcing Apolinario into retreat. The momentum carried into the third round, where Hu capitalized on Apolinario’s vulnerability.
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Trapped against the ropes, Apolinario was clipped with a sharp right straight that sent him crashing to the canvas. Though he managed to beat the count, he was visibly hurt. Moments later, the same punch floored him again. This time, Apolinario couldn’t recover.In a show of frustration, Apolinario pounded the canvas as the referee counted him out at the 1:15 mark of the third round.
The shocking defeat sends Apolinario back to the drawing board, with his hopes of a quick return to world title contention now on hold.
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