?Pinoy Hearns? arrives in China for WBC title-fight
By Lito delos Reyes
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 06 Jul 2016
REIGNING WBC Youth World super lightweight champion Sonny ?Pinoy Hearns? Katiandagho and his team arrived early in China last Tuesday for his title-fight for the vacant WBC Eurasia Pacific Boxing Council welterweight crown on July 9 at the Sichuan Gymnasium in Chengdu.
?Maaga kaming dumating kasi to acclimatize and for his conditioning,? said trainer Joven Jorda in his text message.
The 23-year old Katiandagho (9 wins, 1 loss, 5 Kos) will face the undefeated Rafik Harutjunjan (9 wins) of Armenian.
Katiandagho, a native of General Santos City, is also accompanied by his trainer manager Brico Santig of Highland Promotions from La Trinidad, Benguet.
They will attend the press conference on July 7 at the Hotel Sofeitel where they are also billeted. The official weigh-in is on July 8 also at the hotel.
Katiandagho is now already weighing 147 lbs. and had a short workout for conditioning only at the hotel?s gym.
?Nagpapawis na lang siya kanina,? said Santig.
He won the vacant title by a convincing UD win over Allan Tanada last October 4, 2014 in La Trinidad.
Katiandagho previously scored a split decision victory over then-undefeated Hyun Woo Yuh (5-0) last April 16, 2016 in Dangjin, South Korea.
Harutjunjan, on the other hand, recently retained his World Boxing Federation World welterweight title via a unanimous decision win over Kelvin Dotel (9-1-0) last October 12, 2015 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Also pitted in the double main-header is a non-title fight between newly-crowned WBC Silver female super featherweight champion Melissa ?Little Miss Tyson? St Vil (7-2-3) of Brooklyn, New York against ex-IBF World female super bantamweight champion feisty female super featherweights Katy Wilson ?La Super Baby? Castillo (18-1-0) of Dominican Republic.
The 32-year old St Vil, a former International Women's Boxing Federation World welterweight champion, recently won the vacant WBC Silver female super featherweight title via a unanimous decision over Baby Nansen last April 16 at The Trusts Arena in Auckland, New Zealand.
Photo: Sonny "Pinoy Hearns" Katiandagho (left) and trainer Joven Jorda arrives in China. (Photo courtesy of BRICO SANTIG)
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