OMEGA AIMS FOR A WORLD CHAMPION IN 2018
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 03 Jan 2018
CEBU CITY ? The Omega Gym will produce a world champion this year. This was the lofty goal and challenge issued by Omega Pro Sports,Intl. (OPSI) President Pio Paulo Castillo to the coaching staff and boxers of the Omega Boxing Gym of Cebu.
OPSI is coming off a successful year of promoting fights here in Cebu including two installments of their ?WHO?S NEXT?? pro-boxing series. But it was the overseas performance of their franchise fighter JhackTepora that made everyone sit up and take notice.
Castillo promised the boxers and coaching staff his whole-hearted support. ?You can?t do it without us, but we can also cannot do anything without you.? He stated in his speech before the start of their gym?s post-New Year party Tuesday night.
He stated his goal for 2018 ? for a world champion to emerge from the Omega Gym. Castillo knows the financial burdens of supporting a boxer up the contender ladder to a world title shot but he is willing to do whatever it takes.
Tepora (21-0,16KO?s) would be the frontrunner in Omega?s objective. Last September, he travelled to South Africa and knocked out the hometown favorite Lusanda Komanisi in two rounds to win the vacant WBO Inter-continental featherweight title.Tepora is currently ranked number six by the WBO.
OPSI Vice President Jerome Calatrava told this writer that they will have a small fight card in February, featuring their up and comers who are not yet at the ten round level and then they will resume their ?WHO?S NEXT?? series in March.
The March show will feature the comeback of WBO Oriental light flyweight titleholder Christian Araneta (14-0,12KO?s), who suffered a shoulder injury while training last year and had to undergo rehab. Araneta is the number eight contender in the 108 lb division of the WBO.
Castillo has continued to revise the training regimen of the gym, which started when they hired Dr.Rhoel Deja?o as their conditioning coach. They added Julius Erving Junco to the coaching staff and implemented a more scientific approach to their training.
The Omega Gym already produced a world champion in the person of Johnriel Casimero, who won IBF titles at 108 and 112 lbs. Casimero has since parted ways with Omega. One of the current Omega boxers, Jhaleel Payao (16-1,9KO?s) garnered a WBC Youth world title in 2014.
The Omega top brass also gave away awards to their boxers who had commendable performances in 2017. Topping the list is the KO of the Year of Tepora over Kumanisi. Also cited by the Omega management were Carlo Bacaro as the most improved boxer, Jason Canoy was given the Leadership award, Payao?s win over Raul Yu last October was the Omega Gym?s Fight of the Year and another undefeated Omega prospect, super featherweight Tomjune Mangubat (9-0,8KO?s) was the gym?s Boxer of the Year.
Photo - The OPSI top brass, trainers and boxers during the Omega Gym's post-New Year party.
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