Apolinar, Vicelles of Omega Boxing Gym KO foes in thrilling ‘Kumbati 10’ fights

Pete “Thunder” Apolinar (center) of Omega Gym knocks out Jess Rhey “Wanman Waminal” in the 10th round during the main event of the “Kumbati 10” fight card on Saturday, July 3. | Photo from Omega Boxing Gym Facebook page

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Omega Boxing Gym stalwarts or boxers didn’t fail to entertain boxing fans following their thrilling but impressive victories on Saturday, July 3, 2021’s “Kumbati 10” fight card at the IPI compound in Mandaue City. 

In the main event, Pete “Thunder” Apolinar knocked out the equally-determined Jess Rhey “Wanman Waminal” to wrest the Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) silver featherweight title. Then, Mark “Rastamac” Vicelles passed the toughest fight of his career by scoring a last-second knockout win against Sanman Boxing Gym’s Jerven Mama in the co-main event. 

Apolinar, the pride of San Pablo, Laguna successfully clinched the OPBF silver featherweight title and improved to 15 victories, one defeat and nine knockouts after his masterful performance against the tough Waminal (13-4-1,8KOs) of Bukidnon.

Waminal came out as the aggressor in the first three rounds, pounding Apolinar with combinations to the head and body, but the latter managed to block most of it. The same scenario continued in the ensuing rounds. 

However, Apolinar figured out Waminal’s weakness by targeting the latter’s body in the eighth round.

Apolinar continued to target Waminal’s abdomen with vicious combinations. Waminal was almost knocked down in the ninth round after absorbing Apolinar’s body shots, but he got saved by the bell. 

In the following round, Apolinar surprised Waminal with a right hook to the head that floored the latter for the first time in their match. 

In the last round, Apolinar landed a solid counter left hook that landed to Waminal’s liver. 

Waminal rolled on the canvass grimacing in pain, which forced the referee to stop the bout at exactly two minutes in the final round, awarding a technical knockout victory for the Omega Boxing Gym prodigy. 

Mark Vicelles (left) knocks out Jerven Mama in the last round of their co-main event bout during Saturday’s “Kumbati 10” fight. | Photo from Omega Boxing Gym Facebook page

Meanwhile, the co-main event featuring two unbeaten prospects in Vicelles and Mama finished off with the latter getting knocked out viciously in the last second of the tenth round. 

Vicelles desperately looked for a knockout after suffering a deep cut on his left eyebrow and getting hammered by Mama, who was winning the bout. 

However, while moving backward, Mama got tagged with a solid left straight that sent him down to the canvas. Mama, who was groggy, tried to get back on his feet but could not beat the referee’s count. 

Vicelles remained unbeaten with 14-0-1 (win-loss-draw) with eight knockouts, while Mama suffered his first defeat with 12-1 (win-draw) with seven knockouts. 

The Omega Boxing Gym pugs won all their respective matches as Tomjune Mangubat (14-2-1,11KOs) beat Ernie Sanchez (19-15-1,10KOs) in their 10-rounder duel via unanimous decision.

Mangubat’s stablemate Franco Serafica (6-1-0,3KOs) won by unanimous decision versus Jeffrey Stella (4-11-3,4KOs) in their six-rounder bout.

Benny Cañete (3-0, 2KOs) scored a sixth-round TKO versus Jimpol Dignos (2-1,1KO) to remain unbeaten.

The Suganob brothers of Regie (7-0-0,3KOs) and Rodel (3-0-1) defeated MJ Bo (8-5-2,4KOs) and Mark Jequinto (4-7-1), respectively.

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