Sean Gibbons: Viva Filipino Boxing Fans! (video worth a round)
By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT PhilBoxing.com Mon, 15 Jul 2019
Hollywood, California:
What Mr. Gibbons probably meant to say was Mabuhay ang Philboxing!
Perhaps, the excitement got to him and everyone else at the Manny Pacquiao media day last Wednesday, July 10th at Freddie Roach?s Wild Card Gym.
The unofficially-retired light-heavyweight boxer Sean Gibbons (professional record of 14-7-3, 9KOs) has his claim to fame intact---a 4-round tussle with movie actor Mikey ?El Marielito? Rourke in a pro-boxing match.
The record books show that that Gibbons-Rourke was a split draw and, with a smile, Gibbons reminisced that it was a great fight.
Promoters in Oklahoma call him ?The Match Maker? for good reason.
Now the head matchmaker for MP Boxing Promotions, Sean Gibbons gives his take on the upcoming fights of three Filipino fighters he is affiliated to---John Riel Casimero, Marlon Tapales and the pugilistic Senator Emmanuel ?Manny? Pacquiao.
The following video clip sums up what fellow boxing fans can expect for the second half of 2019.
Firstly, there?s the matter of John Riel Casimero who recently captured the WBO ?Interim? bantamweight belt last April 20th in Carson City, California beating, via 12th round TKO, college student Ricardo ?Hindu? Espinoza (23-4-0,17 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico.
The three-weight-division Waray boxing champion they call Quadro Alas (Four Aces in Tagalog) is fighting again on August 24th, 2019 in the Philippines to defend his WBO 118-pound interim belt against Cesar ?Perico? Ramirez of Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico. Should the 30-year old Casimero (27-4-0,18 KOs) come out victorious against the 31-year old Ramirez (18-3-0, 11 KOs), he would be looking into challenging WBO ?Regular? 118-pound champion 31-year old Zolani Tete (28-3-0, 21KOs) of Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Secondly, the comeback of #1 WBO super-bantamweight contender and Lanao del Norte?s own Marlon ?Maranding Nightmare? Tapales (33-2-0, 16 KOs) gets into full gear as PBC Boxing, Tom Brown?s TGB Promotions and MP Promotions will collaboratively guide him towards WBO 122-pound champion Emmanuel ?Vaquero? Navarrete of Mexico City. Tapales outgrew the 118-pound (bantamweight) division, and will now campaign in the 122-pound (super-bantamweight) division with the help of trainer Rodel ?Batang Mandaue? Mayol in Los Angeles.
Thirdly, Mr. Gibbons assessed the upcoming fight between Manny ?PacMan? Pacquiao and Keith ?One Time? Thurman for the latter?s WBA 147-pound Super Championship belt to be held July 20th, 2019 at the MGM Grand Arena in Last Vegas, Nevada.
?It?s a tremendous fight. The fighting Senator (at 40 years old) wanted to challenge himself by fighting the very best like Keith Thurman. I think the fans will be winning in this fight. And if Keith Thurman comes in to fight it will be a great fight. If he (Thurman) comes in to run and try to survive it would still be a good fight for the Senator, but Keith Thurman will receive a pretty good one-sided lyn_ _ _ _ g(?) and at the end of the day the Senator will probably stop him (Thurman) in the 10th round.?
?I just want to say thank you to all the fans out there (Philippines) and to Senator Pacquiao. I?m just glad to be in a position to be able to help Filipino boxers that, who in the past, had to travel to other countries and go in as big underdogs. Now we?re able to do more shows in the Philippines and that?s all because of the Senator and the Grace of God.?
?I just want to say that Philippine fans are the best, the most passionate. I?m going to keep making champions for the Philippines.?
?Viva, Filipino!?
Notes: This Philboxing.com man-on-the-street would like to thank Mr. Robert Lyons, Ms. Helena Buscema and the Rev. Carl Roberts for their kind assistance. Mr. de Mille and his close-up is not enough to highlight your generous smiles. Salamat, and I?ll see you in Lost Wages, Nevada on Saturday, July 20th.
ABOUT PACQUIAO VS. THURMAN
Pacquiao vs. Thurman will pit boxing?s only eight-division world champion and Philippine Senator Manny ?Pac Man? Pacquiao against undefeated WBA Welterweight World Champion Keith ?One Time? Thurman in the main event of a Premier Boxing Champions on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View event Saturday, July 20 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The pay-per-view begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will also feature undefeated former world champion Omar ?El Panterita? Figueroa Jr. taking on Yordenis Ugбs in a WBC welterweight title eliminator, plus hard-hitting former world champion Sergey Lipinets goes toe-to-toe against rugged veteran John ?The Gladiator? Molina, Jr. and undefeated power-puncher Luis ?Pantera? Nery faces slick-boxing Juan Carlos Payano in a bantamweight bout.
Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased online through AXS.com, charge by phone at 866-740-7711 or in person at any MGM Resorts International box office.
ABOUT PLANT VS. LEE
FOX PBC Fight Night on FOX and FOX Deportes is headlined by undefeated IBF Super Middleweight World Champion Caleb "Sweethands" Plant making the first defense of his title against unbeaten contender and University of Notre Dame graduate Mike Lee Saturday, July 20 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Televised coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT with rising unbeaten heavyweight sensation Efe Ajagba squaring off against undefeated 2016 Turkish Olympian Ali Eren Demirezen.
