Greater Noida: Punjab Panthers carried too many guns for Bombay Bullets and raked up their second successive 5-2 victory in the Big Bout Indian Boxing League at the Gautam Buddha University Indoor Stadium here tonight. The icing on the cake was skipper MC Mary Kom’s unanimous points win against 2016 Olympic bronze medallist Ingrit Lorena Valencia.
Manoj Kumar’s defeat at the hands of Bombay Bullets’ effervescent Young Turk Naveen Boora in the 69kg fourth bout of the night meant that the two captains stepped into the ring with much more than academic interest left in the match. And Mary Kom did enough to impress the judges in each of three rounds to beat the Colombian like she did in the World Championship last year.
Uzbekistan’s Youth Olympic Games champion Abdulmalik Khalakov and PL Prasad gave Punjab Panthers a headstart in the quest for the second win in as many outings. Khalakov held sway over in the 57kg bout with Asian silver medallist Kavinder Singh Bisht despite conceding five years in age. The 19-year-old dodged a swishing left hook and landed a left straight smack on the Bombay Bullets boxer’s face to impose a standing count in the second round to seal the deal.
Prasad, who suffered a reverse on the opening night, redeemed himself by using his speed and agility to counter Anant Chopade’s longer reach. Young Manisha, standing in for Sonia Lather who is on national duty in the South Asian Games in Kathmandu, sustained the momentum with a facile win against Spaniard Melissa Noemi Gonzalez in the women’s 60kg.
