Pasuit, Chavez Jr. advance as Paalam, Ogayre, Fajardo exit world championships

Two Filipino fighters kept the nation’s medal hopes intact at the 2025 World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, while three others were forced to make early exits.

Southeast Asian Games silver medalist Riza Pasuit blasted past Saudi Arabia’s Ragad Alnaimi, forcing a second-round RSC to storm into the women’s 60kg Round of 16.

That emphatic win tees up a September 9 showdown with Brazil’s Rebeca Santos at the M&S Bank Arena, with a quarterfinal berth and a guaranteed bronze on the line.

Ronald Chavez Jr. matched the feat, outlasting Ireland’s Matthew McCole in a gritty 3-2 decision after absorbing a furious late charge in the men’s 70kg bracket.

The Cebu-born stalwart’s next assignment will be revealed as the draw unfolds toward the September 10 quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, Junmilardo Ogayre’s campaign ended in the men’s 60kg Round of 32, yielding to

Kazakhstan’s Biibars Zhexen in a 5-0 verdict that ABAP secretary-general Marcus Manalo argued was tighter than the scorecards indicated.

Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Carlo Paalam likewise bowed out, falling 4-1 to Junior Alcantara Reyes of the Dominican Republic despite unleashing a spirited third-round surge.

Mark Ashley Fajardo also crashed out, dropping a unanimous decision to Ukraine’s Aliev Elvin in a men’s 65 kg contest.

With only Pasuit and Chavez Jr. still standing, the Philippines now zeroes in on the September 7-9 Round of 16, the September 10 quarterfinals, and the September 12-14 medal rounds.