Anchored by lightflyweight Albert Pabila, the combined squad of Philippine Navy and Bago City snared top team honors in the 2007 Smart National Open Boxing Championships, which closed Saturday in Cagayan De Oro City.

The PN-Bago squad bagged five gold medals and a bronze to bag the overall crown with Pabila typifying the mighty show with a referee-stopped-contest-outscored over Davao City's Frederick Dela Cruz in the finals. Pabila, who had upset an Olympic berth-seeking Harry Tañamor in the preliminaries, was later complemented by pinweight Bill Vicera lightweight Joegin Ladon, welterweight Larry Semillano and light heavy weight Junie Tizon who all won their gold medal matches in contrasting fashion.

Vicera won over Davao Del Norte-A's Rechie Behec via RSC-OS, Ladon won on points over Genebert Basadre of Philippine army, 40-33, Semillano outscored Wilfredo Lopez, 32-19 while Junie Tizon was just too tough for Davao City's Almar Kelly Adiong in another referee-stopped contest in light heavyweight.

Ladon is remembered as the fighter who broke down after he felt he had gotten a raw deal from the judges in the lightweight finals of the Bacolod Southeast Asian Games against a Thai boxer. He settled for the silver.

Meanwhile, featherweight Orlando Tacuyan, Joan Tipon's conqueror, emerged as the best boxer in the week-long tournament, a press release from the ABAP said.

Tacuyan, a 19-year old sensation from Angeles City, prevailed over Davao del Norte-A's Charlie Suarez on points, 51-43, in a virtual exchange of heavy punches.

Philippine Army, which topped the annual tournament last year when it was held in Tubod, Lanao Del Norte, finished with three gold medals courtesy of Violito Payla, Army corporal Godfrey Castro of Cadiz City and Maximo Tabangcoara.

Payla, one of the only four athletes that won gold medals in the Asian Games in Doha late last year, spent the first two rounds in virtual exchange of heavy blows with Rey Saludar of Davao Del Norte-A, then totally outclassed the latter in the third round leading the referee to stop their flyweight class showdown right in the third with 1:18 left.

Castro, on the other hand, used his vast experience and tactics, to quell the upset bid of Larry Abarra of Olongapo City in another referee-stopped contest in the bantamweight class (54 kgs.), before Maximo Tabangcoara put one over his teammate in the Philippine Army Marlong Golez viua retirement. (at the start of the third round.)

Castro, who has now won his third gold medal in the annual slugfest by the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines.

Of the seven boxers who will fly to Chicago for a qualifying tournament on October 18, only Payla and Delfin Boholst of Misamis Oriental, managed to make the finals and win.

The rest - bantamweight Tanamor and Tipon (who were elevated to higher class in this tournament), Basadre, Suarez and Lopez - fell in ambush in the preliminaries.

Boholst averted a shutout for the hometown team, Misamis Oriental, as he beat out Anthony Igusquiza of the Philippine Army in a referee-stopped contest due to injury. *

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