BATAWANG BATTLES SOLIS FOR IBF TITLE SEP. 16 IN LAS VEGAS
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 15 Aug 2007
Bert Batawang may have been disappointed because his World Cup title eliminator was called off after his Mexican opponent was found to have detached retinas in both eyes. But thanks to the untiring efforts of international matchmaker Samson Lewkowicz, the 35 year old Batawang will get a title shot against IBF champion Ulises Solis in the main event at the Hard Rock Caf? in Las Vegas on September 16 under the Top Rank banner.
Lewkowicz told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today that "when everybody was crying that Batawang doesnt fight I went back to work to the table and did my homework. I found out that Solis was looking for an opponent and Batawang is rated and doesn't have to go through an elimination. He will go straight to a world title."
The astute matchmaker said he believes the Philippines “will have another champion” to add to the three world titles won recently by Florante Condes (IBF minimum weight) Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire (IBF/IBO flyweight) and Gerry Penalosa (WBO bantamweight).
Lewkowicz said that boxing went through periods where it was first dominated by the white people, then the African-Americans or black people, then come the Latinos - the Mexicans - and today its the Filipinos and I am very happy because I feel part of this family. It's my second home."
Batawang will strive to avenge the defeat of Rodel Mayol who had Solis on the verge of a knockout in the sixth round of their title clash last August 4 but couldn’t finish off the champion who survived a knockdown and came back to score an eighth round TKO when Mayol dropped his guard for a moment and got nailed with a vicious right hook.
Solis who won the IBF light flyweight title on January 7, 2006 against Will Grigsby and has had four successful defenses, the last being against Mayol and has a record of 25-1-2 with 19 knockouts.
Batawang, on the other hand has a record of 50-6 with 34 knockouts and has won his last five fights, three by TKO and two by KO. In his last fight Batawang scored a fourth round TKO over tough Indonesian Sofyan Efendi on February 24 this year.
Batawang stayed behind in Los Angeles with trainer Jeremiah Quijano and is continuing training at the Wild Card Gym of Freddie Roach.
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