SERVANIA UNFAZED BY VALDEZ?S REPUTATION
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 26 Aug 2017
Filipino featherweight contender Genesis Servania (29W-0L,12KO?s) is bracing for the toughest opponent in his eight year pro-career when he challenges WBO world featherweight champion Oscar Valdez (22-0,19KO?s) of Mexico.
Servania was one of the headliners of the ?Pinoy Pride? fight cards in the Philippines before he moved to Japan in 2015. He has three wins in Japan including a second round TKO victory over countryman Ralph Lulu in Kanazawa, Japan last April which earned him the vacant WBO Asia-Pacific featherweight title.
The 26 year old Servania is currently training in Japan. He told this writer in an internet chat that he is doing well in his new home base and he is training hard for his first title world shot.
When asked about his thoughts about the champion, Sevania replied, ?Wa man ko nahadlok ato. Preparado man ko. Maningkamot lang ko.? (I am not afraid of him. I am well prepared. I will try my best.)
?Buhaton nako ang tanan?, Servania added. (I will do everything in my power). He also stated that aside from his manager in Japan, he will be accompanied in his title quest in Arizona by boxer Mark Gil Melligen, who is serving as his trainer and they will be assisted by American Lenny Goodman.
Melligen started fighting in Kanazawa, Japan in 2013. But his last fight was in Bacolod last April 2016, losing to Carlo Magali.
Servania is the WBO?s number four contender. Another Filipino, Mark Magsayo is ranked number two.
L-R: Gilberto Ramirez, Bob Arum, Oscar Valdez and Chrystina Poncher during the launching of the Valdez-Servania boxing event in Tucson, Arizona Aug. 24.
Filipino fight fans got a glimpse of Valdez?s power and high skill level on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Jessie Vargas fight in Las Vegas last November when he stopped Japanese Hiroshige Osawa in seven rounds in his first title defense. Valdez won the vacant WBO world title against Argentinian Matias Rueda by second round TKO in July of last year.
The 26 year old Valdez is an accomplished boxer. As an amateur, he won a gold in the AIBA juniors in 2008, a silver in the 2011 Pan-American Games and a bronze in the 2009 World Amateur Championships. He also qualified for the 2012 Olympics where he was eliminated in his third bout.
Among Valdez?s notable wins as a pro were against former IBF champ Evgeny Gradovich, Chris Avalos and Filipino Ernie Sanchez. Last April he beat Colombian Miguel Marriaga by unanimous decision for his second title defense.
The odds are definitely stacked up against Servania whose best fights on home soil included wins against Venezuelan Alexander Mu?oz, Panamanian Rafael Concepcion and Mexican Genaro Garcia.
The Valdez vs Servania fight will be held at the Convention Center in Tucson, Arizona on September 22. This will be part of a huge card that will also feature the WBO world super middleweight title fight between defending champ Gilberto Ramirez of Mexico and Jesse Hart of the U.S. Both Valdez and Ramirez are promoted by Top Rank.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..
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