16 Cool Things that You'd Like to Learn about Top Rank Filipino Featherweight Genesis Servania
By Carlos Costa PhilBoxing.com Wed, 12 Dec 2018
CEBU, Philippines - Friendly and easy-to-get-along-with, world-ranked Filipino Featherweight Genesis Servania (32-1, 15 KO's) is one of the popular and promising Pinoy boxers with real chances of battling for a world title in 2019. In fact, two years ago, he battled for a world title in one of the most exciting featherweight fights of 2017, losing by points to the current world champion Oscar Valdez (24-0, 19 KO's) in Tucson, Arizona.
Fans enjoyed Servania's performance, Top Rank signed him, and here are some sixteen Cool Things that you'd like to learn about exciting Featherweight fighter Genesis Servania.
1. You are a world-class boxer, currently ranked as WBO # 1, you always loved boxing?
Not at the beginning. When I was a small kid, I did not love boxing. That's because I was getting beat up in trainings and in fights. What kid loves to get blows to the head and body? So I cried and did not like it. But my dad insisted. So I gave boxing a second try. And I got to love it. Now boxing is part of my life. That is how I got into boxing.
2. Your dad was a big boxing fan?
My dad was a boxer, a really good boxer. Amateur. He loved the sport. But he met my mother and they had so many kids and my dad had to work for us. So he could not box. But dad never lost his love for boxing.
3. So you are the one chosen by your dad to follow on his steps in boxing?
Four of us have been boxers. Not only me. Even my sister has been a boxer. Very fast and good moves. Boxing is the family sport. We all love it. One of my brothers had a fight, just a few days ago in Gensan and I was in his corner.
4. What is your boxer brother's name? Is he any good? He lost?
My brother won oi. He is a Servania His name is Rolando Servania. People call him "Momoy." I think he can be a good bantamweight. He fought and won by knock out in round one. Rolando is unbeaten in seven fights. no loses. three wins by way of knock out. Rolando was kind of retired for nearly five years, pero now he is back in boxing, looking good.
5. That is great to have a boxer brother. So Rolando and you are brothers and also stable mates?
Yes, great to have a boxer brother. But belong different promotion companies. I am promoted by Japan company Kashimi Boxing Promotions in association with Top Rank. While my brother Rolando is a fighter of the Sanman Boxing Stable of Gensan promoter JC Manangquil. He trains in Gensan, while I train with my other brother in Bacolod. Rolando likes training with Manangquil and he has made some good friends with his gym mates. My brother Rolando fights for Sanman Boxing and I fight for Kashimi Boxing.
6. Kashimi, right? Kashimi sounds like Japanese food.
No na oi, haha. The Japanese food is Sashimi. Salmon Sashimi. My promotion is Kashimi.
7. So you being Filipino with Japanese manager you learned to like Japanese food?
Yes. Pero not at the beginning. You can imagine. Japanese food is very different than our Filipino food. But with time I learned to like Japanese food. I like it all, including Makis and the Sushi and Chicken Teriyaki. Japanese food is really delicious. And very healthy. Yes, I like the food and I like the Japanese people. I have trained in Japan and I have fought four times in Japan. After my wins, we celebrate eating Japanese food.
Servania (R) spars with Naoya Inoue in Japan.
8. I like Japanese food too. Then, how about your coming immediate plans. You are fighting in the USA on January 12?
No, I am not fighting in the USA on January 12. There was some talk about me fighting somebody in the undercard of Oscar Valdez in Tucson. But I can tell you that it will not happen. I will not fight in the USA in January 12. Hopefully soon I will see action. But not in that show. There were some stories in the Internet saying that I am fighting January 12. They are not correct. I will not fight in that Jan 12 show, and me with my promoters have other plans.
9. Plans are keep on training in Bacolod, being ready for any possible fight coming-up and be ready?
Not staying in Bacolod. I am traveling to Beijing, China. Because I have been invited by top China promoter Liu Gang to join a training camp in Beijing so I can train there and do sparring session with Chinese boxers, including world-ranked Chinese featherweight WBA # 2 Can Xu (15-2, 2 KO's). That is why I will fly from Manila to Beijing on Wednesday (Dec 12) at 6:20 am. I will train there in Beijing for a few weeks. After training in China, I will fly directly from China to Japan.
10. Beijing is very cold in this time of the year. Minus 2 degrees Celsius. Very different weather than the 28 degrees here in the Philippines. So please keep warm.
Thanks for the advise, brother.
11. Other than Manny Pacquiao, who is your favorite active boxer?
Aside from our Senator Manny Pacquiao, my favorite active boxer is Japanese bantamweight Naoya Inoue. That boxer is something else. He is not only a great fighter, but also a friendly boy and very nice person. There are other boxers than I like, just like Canelo Alvarez, I like Triple G and I like Lomachenko. But my # 1 fave is Naoya Inoue.
12. You like Inoue's fights and videos?
Not only his fights. I have met him and I like Naoya Inoue as a person. We were in the same gym in Japan because my manager is Kashimi promotions of Japan, and we were asked by coaches to spar, and spar we did. I liked it. So great it is Inoue's balance, also his power. The way he moves. It's all so natural.
13. But you are two weight classes above Naoya Inoue. How were his punches during sparring?
Naoya Inoue is a super puncher. A striker. He is bantam, but his blows feel as if he is a lightweight! It's the way the throws his blows, the way he deliver his punches. I have done sparring sessions with so many boxers all over. But sparring with Naoya Inoue is something I love. And he is my friend, he chats me, he asks me to spar with him again. I think he likes me too. He wants to spar with me, sure. We benefit from each other while having a great time.
14. So you think that Inoue can defeat Emmanuel Rodriguez and win the Bantamweight WBSS Muhammad Ali Trophie?
Yes.
Servania poses with the author.
15. Before being handled by the Japanese promotion company together with Top Rank, you were a boxer of ALA Boxing Promotions in Cebu, Philippines. But you left ALA Promotions. Parted ways. Some problem there?
It was just that we think different. But that is part of the world of boxing. Even Senator Manny Pacquiao was a Top Rank for years and now he is not. Boxers are allowed to change promotion companies. Nothing strange about it. But I still love all my ALA stable mates. I miss them and I like them all. We spent years training, sweating and laughing together so you develop a strong bond. I like the Pagara brothers Jason and Albert. They are exciting boxers. Good boxers. I like them all, and I am still friends with all of them and the coaches and the big boss sir Antonio are all wonderful people and I wish them Merry Christmas.
16. Very nice talking to you, Genesis Servania. Best of luck in your boxing career. Finally, what is your goal as a world-ranked boxer, and what fights you would like? Because right now you are ranked in the 126 pound division as WBO # 1, also IBF # 5 and WBA # 3. So your promoters and you have options. What fight you would like?
I would like to fight for a world title again. That is the dream of every boxer. Any organization, it depends on my promoters. Also, I'd love a rematch with Oscar Valdez. I liked our fight. I believe that boxing fans enjoyed our effort that night in Tucson. I came to fight so did he. I knocked him down in the fourth round. Got him with my right and sent him down. Two times in that round I hurt him. Then he came back like a warrior and dropped me down all the way down. Not easy to get up from that. But I did and we went on fighting 12 rounds. We finished strong that 12th round, right? Why not do it again?
WATCH Highlights of the Oscar Valdez vs Genesis Servania September 22, 2017 in Tucson, Arizona:
