Nesthy Petecio sent a strong message to the rest of the field.
Despite moving up in weight, the two-time Olympic medalist showed that she still possesses concussive power in both hands, making short work of Mays Alreem Abukhadijah of Jordan in their bout on Saturday at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games boxing competition at the Nishio City General Gymnasium.
With the Asian Games dropping the 57kg featherweight division, Petecio was forced to move up to the 60kg lightweight class. She nevertheless displayed the elite counterpunching and combinations that have made her the most decorated Filipina boxer in history.
Abukhadijah found herself on the receiving end of Petecio’s onslaught, as the Filipino caught the Jordanian twice on the way in with heavy shots to the face.
The first knockdown prompted the referee to administer a standing eight count before Petecio ended the bout with another powerful blow.
Petecio will now advance to the quarterfinals, where she will face an even bigger opponent in Yang Chengyu of China. A victory would guarantee Petecio at least a bronze medal.
Yang, meanwhile, moved down from the light welterweight division to compete in the Asian Games. The Chinese boxer won gold at the 2023 World Championships and bronze at the 2025 World Championships.
