PHILIPPINES CHALLENGES MEXICO FOR WORLD BOXING CUP!

11 August, 2007 by Reylan Loberternos


WBO CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHUPS ON B.A.D.!

Tagbilaran City, RP – HBO’s Boxing After Dark features two highly-anticipated WBO championship matchups between top-tier pugilists from the Philippines and Mexico in the Golden Boy Promotions’ “World Cup of Boxing” at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California this Saturday, August 11.

SIX GREAT MATCHUPS AT STAKE!

Fight fans at the venue are going to be treated to a total of six solid pairs of Filipino-Mexican electrifying clashes. Undefeated boxing phenom Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista (23-0-0, 17 KOs) leads five other Pinoy warriors as he challenges reigning and defending WBO junior featherweight champion Daniel Ponce De Leon (31-1-0, 28 KOs), who also captains his Mexican compatriots in defending the coveted “World Cup of Boxing”, which team Mexico won against team Thailand in the first edition of this GBP brainchild.

“BOOM-BOOM” & PONCE SET TO JOIN DEEP 122-LB MIX!

Exactly a week after fellow Mexicans Israel Vasquez and Rafael Marquez provided fight fans with arguably the best and most explosive bout for 2007 thus far, another pair of brave super bantamweights collide in what could yet again be an exhilarating matchup between two heavy-handed combatants who could someday join the mix in the very deep pool of 122 pounders. Bautista and De Leon, superbly conditioned fighters with very outstanding knockout ratios, will both try to inflict as much damage as they can on each other, while boxing pundits predict that whoever lands first will bring home the bacon.

PEÑALOSA VS GONZALES AS CHIEF SUPPORT!

Former world champion Gerry “Fearless” Peñalosa (51-6-2, 34 KOs) tries to wrest the WBO bantamweight belt from Mexican holder Jhonny Gonzales (34-5-0, 29 KOs) in the co-featured bout of the evening. Coincidentally, Peñalosa and Gonzales once tried their luck in an attempt to grab a championship belt in the heavier 122-lb weight class, challenging world titlists Daniel Ponce De Leon and Israel Vasquez, respectively. Both fighters showed flashes of brilliance during their respective titular challenges, but ended up short with Peñalosa losing via UD and Gonzales getting knocked out in the 10th round.

IT’S GOING TO BE A HIGHLY STRATEGIC BATTLE!

In strong contrast to the volatile and vastly barbarous nature of the main event, the Peñalosa-Gonzales tussle is going to be a battle of wits and strategic execution. The Filipino will likely force his way inside to limit the effective reach advantage as well as to shorten Gonzales’ punches, thereby decreasing the impact of the blows from the rangy Mexican champion. Peñalosa is a defensive master with a granite chin, manifested by the fact that he hasn’t been stopped in any of his 59 professional career bouts. Gonzales, known to be a hard puncher, is therefore not expected to impose his will on the crafty Filipino veteran and go for the knockout, which could very well prove to be a futile attempt. Instead, he’d rather try to keep Gerry at bay and utilize his overwhelming advantages in effective reach and agility to the hilt – an opponent’s characteristics and style, which have been common in Peñalosa’s previous career losses.

Z GORRES TAKES ON ERIC ORTIZ!

Flashy and ring savvy Filipino super flyweight Z “The Dream” Gorres (26-2-1, 14 KOs) jumpstarts his comeback trail as he takes on former WBC light flyweight champion Eric Ortiz (26-6-1, 17 KOs) in the 12-round undercard. Z was supposed to face-off with Gerson Guerrero in an IBF super flyweight title eliminator, but the latter was removed from the card after doctors found out that he has a detached retina, which made him unfit to fight. Eric Ortiz was also initially pitted against undefeated Pinoy rising star Alex John “Bazooka” Banal (13-0-1, 10 KOs) before the Guerrero episode came about. Banal will then strut his stuff against Jorge Cardenas (9-3-3, 6 KOs) in a 6-round affair that will serve as the curtain raiser for the 6-bout “World Cup of Boxing” marathon.

ACTION-PACKED UNDERCARDS!

Fellow ALA boy Michael Domingo (31-14-2, 12 KOs), on the other hand, makes his US debut as he trades mitts with undefeated Mexican super bantamweight Miguel Roman (22-0-0, 16 KOs) in 8 rounds of expected brutal action. Skillful super flyweight southpaw Diosdado “Prince” Gabi (29-3-1, 21 KOs) completes the 6-man Filipino contingent as he struts his stuff against a much bigger Jose Angel Beranza (30-9-2, 25 KOs) of Mexico in an 8-round brawl.

BATAWANG-VERDE SHOULD HAVE MADE IT 7!

Hard-hitting 35-yr-old Filipino light flyweight Bert “Batman” Batawang (50-6-0, 34 KOs) promised an impressive performance in his first US outing when he was supposed to clash against Gerardo Verde (15-4-0, 11 KOs) of Mexico in the other 12-round non-title fight. However, in a late development, the Batawang-Verde encounter was scrapped from the fight because Verde was unable to pass the required medical test due to, coincidentally so, detached retinas.

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ERIK MORALES GOES FOR BROKE! SIZZLING UNDERCARD SATURDAY

02 August, 2007 by Reylan Loberternos


OVER THE HILL WARRIOR GOES FOR FOUR

Chicago, IL – Losing four out of his last five matches, the last two via brutal beat downs, Tijuana’s pride Erik “El Terrible” Morales (48-5-0, 34 KOs) once again tries to muster what seems to be an almost empty basin of pugilistic potency as he tries to prove to fans and pundits alike that he’s not done yet. He looks to further fortify his entry into the annals of boxing by way of a fourth title in as many weight classes. WBC interim lightweight (135 lbs.) champ David Diaz (32-1-1, 17 KOs) stands in his way, when both fighters lock horns in a boxing card dubbed as “War for 4” at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois this Saturday, August 4.

WILL MORALES PULL OFF A SHOCKER?

Probably not… but who knows? Erik is no spring chicken. He’s had 53 career bouts (40 wars?) to his name, the majority of which were performed via the usual give-and-take action that “El Terrible” is known for. Most boxing experts say that the accumulated punishment in all those bouts has already taken its toll on the proud Mexican warrior, citing his recent debacles as a clear manifestation that it’s time for him to finally hang up his gloves. However, Morales has other things in mind and promised to prove skeptics wrong.

WHAT’S THIS BOUT ALL ABOUT YOU ASK?

Not to mention the money involved, this encounter could very well serve as Diaz’s springboard to superstardom. Beating a guy of Morales’ stature will definitely boost his stock and add a little bit of fervor to his otherwise untested resume. If the opposite happens, that is if the seemingly way over-the-hill Morales still proves to be a tough test to hurdle for the aspiring superstar prospect in David Diaz, then Morales fans could either look forward to more fights on the horizon, or their hero retiring as a champion. Win or lose, this is going to be an exciting fight. If you think otherwise, you better ask yourself this simple question. Discounting his duck chase against Zahir Raheem, when was the last time you watched Erik Morales in a boring fight?

RECENT MAIN EVENTS HAVE BEEN DUDS!

Undercards-outshining-the-main-events seems to be the trend in Pay-Per-View boxing spectacles lately. The most recent highly appreciated show stealer was the bloody and action-packed encounter between undefeated WBO interim lightweight king Michael Katsidis of Australia and 21-yr-old rising star from the Philippines Czar Amonsot. Apart maybe from Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins’ unsolicited post fight comment regarding the purportedly “staged” weigh-in melee, fight fans who witnessed that night’s PPV affair probably only had vivid memories of the non-stop action that the supporting bout between Katsidis and Amonsot had to offer and most likely nothing about the Hopkins-Wright tango.

MAYOL-SOLIS COULD BE SHOW STEALER!

Exactly two weeks after Katsidis and Amonsot stole the show from Winky and Bernard, two highly talented and equally explosive light flyweights (108 lbs.) will try to duplicate, if not surpass what the lightweights accomplished inside the squared circle. One-time world championship challenger Rodel “Batang Mandaue” Mayol (23-1-0, 18 KOs) of the Philippines revs up as he takes on IBF titlist Ulises “Archie” Solis (24-1-2, 18 KOs) of Mexico for the latter’s belt.

BOTH FIGHTERS ON EQUAL FOOTING

Their records and physical features are almost identical. Both of them also possess excellent boxing savvy with above average pop in both fists. Solis might have an edge in the quality of opposition, beating former world champions Jose Antonio Aguirre (34-6-1, 20 KOs), Will Grigsby (18-4-1, 7 KOs), Erik Ortiz (26-6-1, 17 KOs), and Edgar Sosa (28-5-0, 14 KOs) to name a few. Mayol, on the other hand, can only take into account a loss to current WBC minimumweight (105) king Eagle Kyowa (18-1-0, 6 KOs) as his lone high profile experience, which, however, is greatly attributed to the fact that during the earlier part of his professional boxing career, highly-rated boxers in his division weren’t willing to risk their lofty status against a very live opponent in Mayol.

TWO GUYS THAT ARE REAL WARRIORS

Fireworks! Nothing less is expected as these two little giants clash in what could be another fight of the year candidate. Both agile, technically proficient and not afraid to trade punches, fight fans will surely be treated to an explosive showdown of gigantic proportions!