CEBU CITY, Philippines — Defending both his newly won title and his professional reputation after a major ring upset, a rising local boxer is firing back against waves of digital backlash. Rodelyn Perez has broken his silence regarding heavy foul allegations and legal complaints lodged by the camp of his high-profile opponent, Eman Bacosa-Pacquiao.
The public row follows a wild, vacant Philippine Boxing Federation (PBF) lightweight championship bout held on June 21 at the DRT Sports Complex in Muntinlupa, Metro Manila.
Eman Bacosa-Pacquiao, the son of eight-division boxing icon and former senator Manny Pacquiao, stepped into the scheduled eight-round match as the clear favorite, holding an impressive multi-fight unbeaten streak. However, Perez completely subverted expectations by overcoming a clean opening combination from Pacquiao and aggressively forcing the action from the second round onward:
[ MATCH OUTCOME & OFFICIATING SCORES ]
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[ REVOLVING SCORECARD SPLITS ] [ THE DISMISSAL OF UNBEATEN STREAKS ]
• **Majority Decision Verdict:** Perez walked away with the vacant • **8-Fight Run Snapped:** The loss dropped Bacosa-Pacquiao's career
championship belt after the judges handed down cards reading • record to **8-2-1 with 5 KOs**, interrupting his steady ascent
**75-75, 75-74, and 76-73** in his favor. • within the local boxing ranks.
• **Three-Flooring Impact:** The narrow scorelines were heavily • **Underdog Resurgence:** The massive victory elevated Perez's
anchored by Perez scoring **three separate knockdowns** during the• overall win-loss record to **6-4-0**, turning his career into
middle rounds, shocking the ringside crowd. • an immediate title-contending trajectory.
The sports victory was instantly overshadowed by intense administrative friction. Joanna Rose B. Dino, the mother and manager of Bacosa-Pacquiao, has formally escalated the dispute by filing a sworn affidavit and complaint before the Games and Amusements Board (GAB).
The camp’s legal complaint requests severe sanctions based on two major athletic arguments:
[ THE BACOSA-PACQUIAO APPELLATE ARGUMENTS ] │ ▼[ Rabbit Punching ] ──► The camp alleges that Perez systematically employed highly illegal and dangerous tactics, specifically landing roughly four "rabbit punches" to the back of Pacquiao's head. │ ▼[ Downed Strike ] ──► The affidavit claims the worst violation occurred during the second round, arguing that Perez intentionally struck Pacquiao while his hands were already touching the floor. │ ▼[ Ref Inaction ] ──► The complaint explicitly targets referee Jerrold Tomeldan, accusing him of failing to protect the fighter from hazardous blows (though independent analysts noted Tomeldan also missed two separate legitimate knockdowns that favored Perez).
The ongoing administrative battle has ignited toxic debates across social media, where Perez became the target of severe, coordinated online criticism from Pacquiao’s vast fan base, including supporters from the young fighter’s entertainment and show business circles. Refusing to step down under the intense public pressure, Perez took to his official Facebook page to deliver a blunt, direct counter-message to his detractors:
“Kung hindi kayo marunong tumanggap ng pagkatalo, huwag na lang kayong mag-boxing.” (If you don’t know how to accept defeat, you might as well retire from boxing.)
While his camp battles the administrative motions at GAB, Perez maintains that his ring performance was driven entirely by hard work, heart, and tactical adjustments. Concurrently, Bacosa-Pacquiao has taken the setback in stride publicly, posting that true strength is defined by how many times a person gets back up after being knocked down. With both athletes standing their ground, the GAB’s upcoming technical video review will serve as the final authority to either validate Perez’s hard-fought crown or reshape the local lightweight landscape.