2017 PHILIPPINE BOXING YEAREND REVIEW (PART I)
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 31 Dec 2017
It was another eventful year for fight fans. The face of Philippine boxing, Manny Pacquiao, lost his world title but new names emerged eager to take up his mantle.
January 1 ? Former Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) President Mel Lopez passed away at the age of 81.
January 11- Top Rank CEO Bob Arum names Australian Jeff Horn as Manny Pacquiao?s opponent in April as part of a planned four fight farewell tour.
January 25 ? Wanheng Menayothin (Chayaphon Moonsri) of Thailand WUD 12 Melvin Jerusalem, WBC world minimumweight title, Phitsanulok, Thailand.
January 29 ? Jerwin Ancajas WRTD7 Jose Alfredo Rodriguez (Mexico), retains IBF world super flyweight title, Macau, S.A.R. China.
February 4 ? Hekkie Budler (South Africa) WRTD 7 Joey Canoy, vacant IBO world light flyweight title, Emperors Palace, Gauteng, South Africa.
February 13 ? Pacquiao runs a Twitter poll for his followers to pick his next opponent and British boxer Amir Khan gets the most number of votes.
March 7 ? Donnie Nietes elevated to the Cebu Sports Awards Hall of Fame during the 35th SMB-SAC Awards.
March 7 ? Top Rank CEO Bob Arum calls off Pacquiao?s plan to fight Amir Khan in the UAE.
March 8 ? Nonito Donaire and Top Rank separate.
March 22 ? Romero Duno signs multi-year promotional contract with Golden Boy Promotions after upset KO win over Christian Gonzalez (USA) in Los Angeles.
March 31 ? Mzuvukile Magwaca (South Africa) W SD 12 Jason Canoy, vacant WBF world bantamweight title, Khayelitsha, Western Cape, South Africa.
April 5- Manny Pacquiao signs contract to fight Jeff Horn in Australia
April 22 ? Marlon Tapales loses WBO bantamweight world title on the scales in Osaka, Japan after weighing 1.93 lbs over the division limit on his second try during the official weigh-in for his title defense against Shohei Omori of Japan.
April 22 ?Zolani Tete (South Africa) WUD12 Arthur Villanueva , vacant WBO interim world bantamweight title, Leicester Arena, Leicestershire, United Kingdom.
April 23 ? Marlon Tapales W TKO 11 Shohei Omori (Japan), Edion Arena, Osaka, Japan. Tapales was stripped of the WBO world bantamweight title for being overweight. His win meant the title was vacant.
April 29 ? Donnie Nietes W UD12 Komgrich Nantapech (Thailand), wins vacant IBF world flyweight title. Waterfront Cebu City Hotel, Cebu, Philippines. Nietes moves up in weight and wins third world title.
May 21 ? Milan Melindo WTKO1 Akira Yaegashi (Japan) , wins IBF world light flyweight title, Ariake Colloseum , Tokyo, Japan.
June 10 ? Simphiwe Khonco (South Africa) W UD 12 Lito Dante, IBO world minimumweight title, Emperor?s Palace, Gauteng, South Africa.
July 2 ? Jerwin Ancajas WTKO7 Teiru Kinoshita (Japan), retains IBF world super flyweight title. Manny Pacquiao LUD12 Jeff Horn (Australia), loses WBO world welterweight title, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Australia.
July 8 ? Seventy Filipino boxers blacklisted by the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) after being discovered that they submitted fake CT-scans of the brain.
Photo ? clockwise left to right ? Manny Pacquiao, Jerwin Ancajas, Donnie Nietes, Milan Melindo
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