Filipino fighters Pete Apolinar and Mark Vicelles experienced contrasting fortunes in a championship card held at FujisanMesse in Fuji, Shizuoka, Japan, on Saturday.
Pete Apolinar Shocks Hometown Bet
Veteran prizefighter Pete Apolinar delivered the biggest win of his career, scoring a ninth‑round TKO over hometown favorite Shunpei Ohata to claim the WBO Asia Pacific super featherweight crown.
A heavy underdog, the 31‑year‑old Apolinar stalked the Japanese from the outset. He looked headed for an early night after Ohata dropped him in the fifth round with a crisp counter right straight, but the Filipino quickly rose and pressed forward.
Ohata engaged Apolinar in fast‑paced exchanges, yet the Filipino consistently had the better of them, even opening a cut below the Japanese fighter’s left eyelid. Apolinar’s relentless pace culminated in a ninth‑round flurry that forced Ohata’s corner to throw in the towel at the 2:11 mark.
The win improved Apolinar’s record to 21‑7‑1 with 14 KOs, while Ohata, who had missed weight prior to the fight, fell to 8‑2 with 5 KOs.
Mark Vicelles Absorbs Beating
In stark contrast, fellow Filipino veteran Mark Vicelles suffered a punishing defeat in the main event, stopped in Round 2 by Thai champion Thanongsak Simsri. It marked Simsri’s second consecutive second‑round stoppage victory.
The Thai titleholder was in complete control in the fight, peppering Vicelles with crisp combinations from the get-go up until the finish. Simsri was particularly on-point in the second, where he dropped the Filipino twice, both times courtesy of a stinging right straight that landed flush. After the second knockdown, Simsri poured in on, cornered Vicelles, and landed unanswered blows that forced the referee to wave the fight off with 54 seconds remaining in the second round.
With the loss, Vicelles failed in his bid for Simsri’s IBF light flyweight crown. His record dropped to 21‑3‑1 with 11 KOs, while Simsri improved to 41‑1 with 36 KOs. Worryingly, Vicelles has now lost two of his last three fights, both by stoppage—the other against Japan’s Kosuke Tomioka. In contrast, Simsri might be looking at another Filipino, Regie Suganob, as his next challenge as the latter is the IBF’s mandatory challenger.
