Southeast Asian Games champion Charly Suarez posted his second victory in the prestigious World Series of Boxing (WSB) being held at the Mediolanum Stadium in Milan, Italy.

Representing the Milan-based Italia Thunder, Suarez scored a split decision over Asian champion Anvar Yunusov of Tajikistan, who is fighting for the United States Knockouts in the tournament organized by the Amateur International Boxing Association.

The Filipino pug was actually trailing going into the fourth round of their lightweight match.

But Suarez didn’t give up despite nursing a shoulder injury as he reclaimed his bearing to the delight of some 500 Filipinos in the bleachers who came out to support.

“I had to suck it up because so many Filipinos had bought tickets in advance. I didn’t want to disappoint them,” Suarez said.

Suarez nailed his first victory with the Italia Thunder in November when he overwhelmed Robert Harutyunyan of Germany.

The WSB employs a five-round match with three minutes each round. Competing boxers are playing without head armors and singlets just like a professional boxing match.

Suarez, however, turned down several offers to turn pro. “I still want to fight in the Olympics for my country. I am aiming for a slot in Rio de Janeiro in 2016,” he said in his previous interview.

Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines Executive Director Ed Picson said Suarez is set to undergo laser treatment for his shoulder injury before resuming his WSB campaign in March.