Filipino import Jack ”The Assassin” Asis took just 1min 16sec to capture the Australian light-welterweight boxing title in Townsville, Queensland, on the weekend.
Asis, a natural featherweight, fought two divisions above his weight in a bid to challenge reigning light-welterweight champion Josh King, who had been undefeated before the fight. Imagine the surprise when the power-punching Filipino dusted him off in the opening round.
In an earlier bout this year, Asis kayoed the Australian lightweight champion Brett Smith in the eighth round after dropping him twice in the second round, once in the fifth and twice in the eighth round before the referee stopped the contest. The champion had refused to put his title on the line, though, and was saved from losing his title to Asis.
In both bouts, the Filipino had knocked out his opponents in front of their hometown crowds. Asis’ record stands at 23 wins (12 by KO), 18 loses and four draws
”The downside is that it will be difficult from hereon to find Australian opponents for Jack,” lamented trainer Todd Makelim, a former Australian flyweight, super-flyweight and bantamweight champion who runs a stable of boxers at his Out West Fight Club gym in Campbelltown.
”He’s struck fear among fighters in his weight division.”
Indeed, Jack ”The Assassin” Asis hails from the same General Santos city in Mindanao where the world’s best pound-for-pound boxing champion Manny ”PacMan” Pacquiao comes from.