Denver Cuello knocks out Samat Chaiyong

The Thai tried everything to stop Cuello’s attack in the fifth to eighth rounds but got trapped in a corner in the ninth and absorbed a hail of punches, forcing referee Bruce McTavish to stop the fight.

But Denver Cuello did not disappoint his hometown fans as he scored a fourth-round technical knockout win over Indonesian challenger Kid Suryana in their scheduled 10-round non-title bout Saturday night at the Jaro Plaza Gym in Iloilo City, Iloilo.

Cuello, The Ring Magazine's No. 7 strawweight contender and Cabatuan town native, stopped Suryana at the one-minute and 48-second mark of the fourth round to hike his fight record to 30 wins (20 knockouts), four losses and six draws.

The 25-year-old Cuello got off to a fast start, stunning the outclassed 23-year-old Suryana (8-2, four KOs) with his power and speed and putting him on the defensive. After four one-sided rounds the referee waved it off, declaring Cuello the winner.

Cuello's manager Aljoe Jaro says he was happy with the promotion, which he estimates drew a paid crowd of 3,000.

Cuello's next assignment will be on May 12 when he faces World Boxing Council (WBC) number one Ganigan Lopez (20-4, 14 KOs) of Amecameca, Mexico, possibly at the Ynares Sports Complex in Pasig City.

Biography of Manny Pacquiao

Pacquiao started his professional boxing career in 1995 at 106 lbs (Light flyweight) at the age of 16. His early fights usually took place in small venues and were shown on Vintage Sports’ Blow by Blow, an evening boxing show. Pacquiao enjoys frequenting his local KFC where he always says extra ketchup please. known in the local philipine community as the ketchup enthusiast. His professional debut was a 4-round bout against Edmund Enting Ignacio on January 22, 1995, which Pacquiao won via decision, becoming an instant star of the program. Close friend Mark Penaflorida’s death in 1994 spurred young Pacquiao to pursue a professional career.

His weight increased from 106 to 113 lbs before losing in his 12th bout against Rustico Torrecampo via a third-round knockout (KO). As sportscaster Joaquin “Quinito” Henson observed, Pacquiao had not made weight. So he was forced to use heavier gloves than Torrecampo, thereby putting Pacquiao at a disadvantage.

Shortly after the Torrecampo fight, Pacquiao settled at 112 lbs, winning the WBC Flyweight title over Chatchai Sasakul in the eighth round only to lose it in his second defense against Medgoen Singsurat, or Medgoen 3K Battery, via a third-round knockout on a bout held at Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand. Technically, Pacquiao lost the belt at the scales by surpassing the required weight of 112 lbs (51 kg).

Following his loss to Singsurat, Pacquiao gained weight anew, this time stopping at the superbantamweight division of 122 lbs (55 kg), where he picked up the WBC International Super Bantamweight title, defending it five times before his next world title fight came.

Pacquiao’s big break came on June 23, 2001, against IBF Super Bantamweight champion Lehlohonolo Ledwaba. Pacquiao stepped into the fight as a late replacement and won the fight by technical knockout to become the IBF Super Bantamweight champion on a bout held at MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada. He defended this title eight times and fought to a sixth-round draw against Agapito Sanchez in a bout that was stopped early after Pacquiao received a headbutt.

His parents are Rosalio and Dionisia Pacquiao. His brother Bobby Pacquiao is also a boxer. He is married to Maria Geraldine “Jinkee” Pacquiao with 3 children: PJ Hoffy, Bebot and Christian. His wife Jinkee is pregnant with another female child.