Japanese dethrones Saludar by knockout

Froilan Saludar's reign as Orient-Pacific Boxing Federation bantamweight king came to an abrupt end late Friday night at the Nustar Resort and Casino in Cebu City.

Making the first defense of the OPBF 118-lb crown, Saludar suffered an eighth-round knockout to Keita Kurihara in an action-packed bout as the Japanese exacted payback following his first-round knockout defeat to the Filipino last October in Tokyo.

Even before veteran referee Tony Pesons counted Saludar out, JC Mananquil of SanMan Promoting of General Santos City had climbed the ring signaling that the corner had given up, knowing that his fighter was down and out.

A crackling right to the head by Kurihara sent Saludar backpedaling towards a neutral corner and a finishing flurry floored him for the count.

The victory raised Kurihara's record to 18-8-1 with 16 knockouts while the loss dropped Saludar's to 34-8-1 with 24 wins inside the distance.

It could be the end of the road for Saludar, who suffered his fifth loss in eight fights since 2020.

In the main supporting fight, Christian Araneta made short work of Arvin Magramo in their International Boxing Federation light-flyweight title eliminator.

Araneta, nicknamed "The Bomb," sent Magramo, representing the Elorde Sports Center in Manila, down with a left uppercut.

Another hard shot put him down for the second time and while Magramo was able to get up, he was so wobbly that referee Danrex Tapdasan had no choice but to pull the plug on his bid.

The win boosted Aranerta's mark to 24-2 with 19 knockouts while the defeat saw Magramo's slate sink to 17-2-1 with 11 knockouts.

If the IBF makes good on its promise, Araneta will get his shot at Mexican champion Adrian Curiel sometime this year.

The show was attended by boxing dignitaries, including four-division champion Donnie Nietes, three-division titleholder John Riel Casimero and former unified champion Marlon Tapales.