At A Glance
- Eman Bacosa shrugged off the pressure and scored a unanimous decision win over compatriot Nico Salado in the Thrilla in Manila II 50th Anniversary at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Wednesday, Oct. 29.
Eman Bacosa (Eman Bacosa FB post)
Eman Bacosa shrugged off the pressure and scored a unanimous decision win over compatriot Nico Salado in the Thrilla in Manila II 50th Anniversary at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Wednesday, Oct. 29.
Bacosa, 21, outboxed Salado in their six-round lightweight contest with the judges scoring the bout, 55, 58-55, 60-53, in favor of the son of the legend Manny Pacquiao.
The 5-foot-10 boxer now improved to a 7-0-1 win-loss-draw record, while Salado settled for a 2-2-1 card.
“Okay lang po. Saka gusto kong magpasalamat sa Panginoong Diyos natin dahil sa pagbigay Niya sa akin ng proteksyon at paggabay Niya sa akin ng tagumpay,” he told reporters after the win. “Maraming salamat din po sa mga sumusuporta… Thankful ako kay God saka masayang-masaya."
"Confident ako na mananalo pero sabi kasi ng coach ko, wag masyadong gigil, wag masyadong habol kasi darating din po 'yon eh," he added.
It was a slow start for both rising stars with Bacosa trying to control the tempo. He then began unloading heavy hits in the fourth where he knocked down Salado with a left hook.
The Boholano boxer managed to regain his footing and tried to steal the fight with a flurry of his own, but his efforts weren’t enough as Bacosa had already made huge gains in the scorecard.