OLIVA DEPARTS FOR MEXICO FIGHT
By Lito delos Reyes
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 16 Feb 2016
REIGNING World Boxing Federation (WBF) Asia Pacific flyweight champion Jether ?The General? Oliva of General Santos City left Monday night for Mexico for his slated fight against former world champion Mexican Pedro ?Jibran? Guevarra on February 20.
Oliva (23 wins-4 loses-2 draws-11 KOs) is being accompanied by his manager Jim Claude ?JC? Manangquil, chief executive officer of the Sanman Promotions.
They boarded the Philippine Airlines flight PR112 via Los Angeles, USA and are expected to arrive in Mexico on Feb. 16.
Oliva and Guevarra will be fighting under the 112 lbs. division in Mazatlan, Sinaloa.
This will be the second time for Oliva to be fighting in Mexico. In his first outing, Oliva was stopped by Mexican Luis Nery in the 4th round at the Centro De Convenciones in Rosarito, Baja California last Feb. 28.
But Oliva fought Nery in the 117 lbs. division.
?It was not a good decision for us to allow Oliva to fight not in his division. His opponent was too big for him,? Mananquil said.
Six months later, the 5-foot-5 Oliva bounced back by stopping light flyweight Ryan Ralozo of Cagayan de Oro via a 3rd round technical knockout at the BS Gym in Lanao del Norte.
The 28-year old Oliva, however, was robbed in his title-fight for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) Africa super flyweight title by unanimous decision to Zolani Tete of South Africa last Dec. 18 at the Orient Theatre in East London, Eastern Cape.
Oliva has been preparing since the first week of January for a scheduled fight against Fernando Ocon in the undercard of the Brawl at the Mall: Glory on Feb. 13 at the Gaisano Mall Atrium in Gensan.
?Oliva is top shape and is now only two pounds over the weight limit,? said Mananquil.
Guevarra, 26, recently lost his World Boxing Council (WBC) world light flyweight title to Japanese Yu Kimura by a split decision last Nov. 28 at the Xebio Arena in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
Guevarra (26W-2L-1D-17KOs) is also a former WBC Silver and NABF light flyweight champion,
The 5-foot-4 Guevarra captured the vacant WBC world light flyweight crown by knocking out Japanese Akira Yaegashi in the 7th round last Dec. 30, 2014 in Tokyo, Japan.
He twice successfully defended it last year against Richard Claveras (1st round TKO) and Ganigan Lopez (UD) before losing it in Japan.?LITO DELOS REYES
PHOTO: Jether Oliva (right) and his manager Jim Claude Manangquil waiting for their flight at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila last Feb. 15.
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