THE “FILIPINO CONNECTION” MONDAY SPECIAL
11 September, 2006 by Reylan Loberternos
CAN THE LARGER FILIPINO PUGS PREVAIL?
Tagbilaran City, RP-It is a rarity for Filipino boxers to campaign in the heavier weight classes. Pinoy pugilists, as they colloquially call themselves, abound from the minimum weight up to the featherweight divisions. They, however, normally move up in weight, even fighting in a division where they will become the smaller guy. The reason for this being that bigger weight class fights are synonymous to bigger bucks. This is exemplified by Filipino boxing icon Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (42-3-2, 33 KOs), who started his career as a strawweight, but now is fighting in the big men’s division, relatively speaking, at super featherweight.
AND YES WE HAVE BIGGER GUYS TOO!
Contrary to popular notion though, there are also promising Filipino talents who display their skills in the lightweight, welterweight, and even middleweight categories!
SULTAN KOS GUY WHO BEAT MIGUEL COTTO
One of them is Dondon “El Supremo” Sultan (13-6-2, 7 KOs), the reigning PABA champion who is scheduled to fight in a rematch with Anton Solopov (12-1-0, 9 KOs) on September 15 on the latter’s home turf in Russia. Sultan is a welterweight who also fights at middleweight. In their first encounter, Sultan stopped Solopov in the 1st round of a fight held in Surgut, Russia. Solopov, managed by the legendary Kostya Tszyu, has the distinction of beating current professionally undefeated WBO junior welterweight champion Miguel Cotto (27-0-0, 22 KOs) of Puerto Rico while in the amateur ranks.
WILLING TO FACE KING KONG FOR FREE!
Sultan’s manager, Sammy Gello-ani of SGG Promotions, says that his ward fears no one. He is willing to fight any of the big name fighters, even for free! When asked if he was agreeable to fight Floyd “Pretty Boy” Mayweather, Jr., Sultan’s reply was “Even for free, I’ll fight him!” Don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen!
BOXREC DOESN’T TELL THE DETAILS
El Supremo’s fight record could really be deceiving. Five of his six losses were controversial. His TKO defeats, according to him, were both caused by low blows. He decked Hiroshi Watanabe (20-3-2, 14 KOs) of Japan twice, but still two of the three judges scoring that OPBF welterweight title bout gave it to the Japanese with scores of 115-114 and 115-113, while the third judge scored it 118-111 for Sultan. His loss in Thailand against hometown hero Parkpoom Jangphonak (8-1-0, 5 KOs) was also highly contentious.
AMONSOT SEEKS REVENGE
Another Filipino ring combatant, WBO Asia-Pacific super-featherweight champ Czar Amonsot (17-1-1, 10 KOs) of the famed ALA boxing gym, will have the chance to avenge his controversial loss to Simson “The Terminator” Butar (14-5-1, 10 KOs), as he stakes his regional title on September 23. After adding that single blemish to his record, Amonsot has then racked up ten successive wins highlighted by 3 KOs during the period. Also fighting on the undercard of that boxing promotion is hot welterweight prospect “MGM Grand” Mark Jason Melliguen (3-0-0, 3 KOs), who, so far, has subdued all his foes in the 1st round.
LACK OF COMPETITION MAKES THEM “OPPONENTS”
The scarcity of talent fighting in the heavier weight class has forced these battle-scarred warriors to trade mitts with foreign foes in hostile territories, facing the great risk of being on the losing end of unfair decisions. Dondon Sultan has been a victim of this worldwide phenomenon in his several fights abroad, while Czar Amonsot has so far been lucky enough to avoid horrendous verdicts after the sound of the final bell.
CAN THE LARGER FILIPINO PUGS PREVAIL?
Tagbilaran City, RP-It is a rarity for Filipino boxers to campaign in the heavier weight classes. Pinoy pugilists, as they colloquially call themselves, abound from the minimum weight up to the featherweight divisions. They, however, normally move up in weight, even fighting in a division where they will become the smaller guy. The reason for this being that bigger weight class fights are synonymous to bigger bucks. This is exemplified by Filipino boxing icon Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (42-3-2, 33 KOs), who started his career as a strawweight, but now is fighting in the big men’s division, relatively speaking, at super featherweight.
AND YES WE HAVE BIGGER GUYS TOO!
Contrary to popular notion though, there are also promising Filipino talents who display their skills in the lightweight, welterweight, and even middleweight categories!
SULTAN KOS GUY WHO BEAT MIGUEL COTTO
One of them is Dondon “El Supremo” Sultan (13-6-2, 7 KOs), the reigning PABA champion who is scheduled to fight in a rematch with Anton Solopov (12-1-0, 9 KOs) on September 15 on the latter’s home turf in Russia. Sultan is a welterweight who also fights at middleweight. In their first encounter, Sultan stopped Solopov in the 1st round of a fight held in Surgut, Russia. Solopov, managed by the legendary Kostya Tszyu, has the distinction of beating current professionally undefeated WBO junior welterweight champion Miguel Cotto (27-0-0, 22 KOs) of Puerto Rico while in the amateur ranks.
WILLING TO FACE KING KONG FOR FREE!
Sultan’s manager, Sammy Gello-ani of SGG Promotions, says that his ward fears no one. He is willing to fight any of the big name fighters, even for free! When asked if he was agreeable to fight Floyd “Pretty Boy” Mayweather, Jr., Sultan’s reply was “Even for free, I’ll fight him!” Don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen!
BOXREC DOESN’T TELL THE DETAILS
El Supremo’s fight record could really be deceiving. Five of his six losses were controversial. His TKO defeats, according to him, were both caused by low blows. He decked Hiroshi Watanabe (20-3-2, 14 KOs) of Japan twice, but still two of the three judges scoring that OPBF welterweight title bout gave it to the Japanese with scores of 115-114 and 115-113, while the third judge scored it 118-111 for Sultan. His loss in Thailand against hometown hero Parkpoom Jangphonak (8-1-0, 5 KOs) was also highly contentious.
AMONSOT SEEKS REVENGE
Another Filipino ring combatant, WBO Asia-Pacific super-featherweight champ Czar Amonsot (17-1-1, 10 KOs) of the famed ALA boxing gym, will have the chance to avenge his controversial loss to Simson “The Terminator” Butar (14-5-1, 10 KOs), as he stakes his regional title on September 23. After adding that single blemish to his record, Amonsot has then racked up ten successive wins highlighted by 3 KOs during the period. Also fighting on the undercard of that boxing promotion is hot welterweight prospect “MGM Grand” Mark Jason Melliguen (3-0-0, 3 KOs), who, so far, has subdued all his foes in the 1st round.
LACK OF COMPETITION MAKES THEM “OPPONENTS”
The scarcity of talent fighting in the heavier weight class has forced these battle-scarred warriors to trade mitts with foreign foes in hostile territories, facing the great risk of being on the losing end of unfair decisions. Dondon Sultan has been a victim of this worldwide phenomenon in his several fights abroad, while Czar Amonsot has so far been lucky enough to avoid horrendous verdicts after the sound of the final bell.
posted by Reylan | 11:51 AM
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