Sean working overtime
By Joaquin Henson
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 11 Oct 2019
L-R: Gibbons, Ancajas and Pacquiao.
There are five Filipino fighters ranked No. 1 and 15 in the top five of the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO honor rolls. Four Filipinos reign as world champions today----super WBA welterweight titlist Manny Pacquiao, super WBA bantamweight ruler Nonito Donaire, Jr., IBF superflyweight king Jerwin Ancajas and IBF minimumweight beltholder Pedro Taduran. A contender, who's rated No. 1, is the champion's mandatory challenger.
Before the year ends, two Filipinos get a chance to claim a world crown. WBO No. 1 Edward Heno takes on defending lightflyweight champion Elwin Soto of Mexico at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California, on Oct. 24. Then, Johnriel Casimero faces WBO bantamweight titleholder Zolani Tete of South Africa in London or Birmingham on Nov. 23. English promoter Frank Warren has yet to finalize the venue.
At least one more Filipino is lined up to figure in a title eliminator in December. WBO No. 1 and IBF No. 3 featherweight Jhack Tepora is set to battle Panama?s WBA No. 6 Bryan de Gracia on Dec. 21 with the winner to challenge WBA champion Xu Can of China assuming he repulses Manny Robles in his second defense in Indio on Nov. 23. Waiting for his shot is WBO No. 1 and IBF No. 3 superbantamweight Marlon Tapales, formerly the WBO bantamweight champion.
Three Filipinos expected to fight for the world title next year are WBO No. 1, IBF No. 3 and WBC No. 5 flyweight Giemel Magramo, WBA No. 4 bantamweight Reymart Gaballo and IBF No. 1 bantamweight Michael Dasmarinas.
The man responsible for sealing the title cracks is MP Promotions head Sean Gibbons who works for Sen. Pacquiao. He moves heaven and earth to give every deserving Filipino contender a shot at the crown. ?The Senator opens doors for Filipino fighters to get world title shots,? he said. ?Sometimes, they win, sometimes, they lose. That?s boxing. But the important thing is they?re getting the chance to fight for a world title with a big payday.?
WBO No. 1 minimumweight Robert Paradero is also in Gibbons? sights. Paradero, 23, will see action in an MP card next month. His record is 18-0, with 12 KOs. The Bukidnon fighter is still to be tested. Of his 18 victims, 12 entered the ring with more losses than wins and the most wins any of the six other opponents had were nine.
Of the 15 fighters ranked in the top five, the unbeaten Filipinos are Paradero, Heno, Gaballo and Tepora. Gaballo, a former interim WBA bantamweight champion, has a 22-0 record, with 19 KOs. Gaballo, 23, is from Cotabato del Sur like WBO No. 4 minimumweight and former WBO champion Vic Saludar. Tepora, 24, is a former interim WBA featherweight titlist whose record is 23-0, with 17 KOs.
WBC No. 2 minimumweight Melvin Jerusalem, 25, is the elite list of 15 and deserves a second shot at the world title. In 2017, he lost a unanimous but close decision to WBC champion Wanheng Menayothin in Thailand. Menayothin has a 53-0 record and is in the record books as an undefeated world champion with the most wins ever, surpassing Floyd Mayweather?s 50-0 and Ricardo Lopez? 51-0-1. Jerusalem was docked a point for a low blow in the eighth round and would?ve held Wanheng to a majority draw if referee Celestino Ruiz didn?t order the deduction. He has won his last four fights to raise his record to 15-2, with 9 KOs.
Another fighter in the 15-man cast is former four-division world champion Donnie Nietes, ranked No. 4 by the WBC in the superflyweight division. Last December, he won the WBO superflyweight crown but later relinquished it. When he held his four titles, it was difficult to find a willing challenger. That?s how good Nietes is. But now that he?s not a champion, it?s become even more difficult because opponents have nothing to gain by facing him. No wonder Nietes, 37, hasn?t fought at all this year. His record is 42-1-5, with 23 KOs and the future Hall of Famer?s career is far from over but no world champion is rushing to stake his crown against him.
Dasmarinas, a former IBO bantamweight champion, is waiting for his turn to challenge for the IBF crown. Donaire will meet regular WBA/IBF bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue in Tokyo on Nov. 7 and the winner is expected to vacate the IBF throne. That will set the stage for Dasmarinas to vie for the title, possibly against No. 2 Joshua Greer, Jr. Dasmarinas? record is 29-2-1, with 19 KOs.
The list of Filipinos in the top five----Minimumweight: WBO No. 1 Paradero, WBC No. 2 Jerusalem, WBA No. 4 Rey Loreto, WBO No. 4 Saludar, IBF No. 5 Rene Mark Cuarto. Lightflyweight: IBF No. 5 Randy Petalcorin, WBO No. 1 Heno. Flyweight: WBC No. 5, IBF No. 3, WBO No. 1 Magramo. Superflyweight: WBC No. 4 Nietes, WBA No. 4 Gaballo, IBF No. 1 Dasmarinas. Superbantamweight: WBO No. 1, IBF No. 3 Tapales, WBO No. 2 Albert Pagara. Featherweight: IBF No. 3 Tepora. Lightweight: WBO No. 4 Romero Duno.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Round 12 with Mauricio Sulaiman: Unsung Heroes and the Value of Service
By Mauricio Sulaimán, Thu, 12 Mar 2026Ronald, eldest son of boxing legend Tommy Hearns, will be his guardian and conservator
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Thu, 12 Mar 2026Remembering Gilberto Mendoza in the 10th Anniversary of His Passing
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Thu, 12 Mar 2026Air Force, Elite teams in Best of the Best Karate tourney
By Lito delos Reyes, Thu, 12 Mar 2026Chavez brothers to return on April 25
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Thu, 12 Mar 2026ProBox & Teiken Announce Co-Promotional Deal with World-Ranked Bantamweight Contender Katsuma Akitsugi
Thu, 12 Mar 2026Team USA Earns Three More Wins on Day Four of World Boxing Futures Cup
Thu, 12 Mar 2026Casimero vs Nery for WBA Gold Super Bantamweight Title April 18 in Kyrgyzstan!
By Carlos Costa, Thu, 12 Mar 2026United States Completes Day Three of 2026 World Boxing Futures Cup With Five Wins
Thu, 12 Mar 202683 Points! Bam Adebayo makes the second-highest score in NBA league history
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Thu, 12 Mar 2026Renz Paolo Nool rules 5th Kenz Gambit Chess Tournament
By Marlon Bernardino, Thu, 12 Mar 2026Benavidez-Ramirez presents his mega fight on "WBC Tuesday Coffe" in Mexico City
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Wed, 11 Mar 2026“The Cuban Assassin" Scores Devastating 1st Round Knockout to Remain Undefeated
Wed, 11 Mar 2026Boxlab Promotions Fighters Set to Shine on Matchroom Boxing Card March 21 in Orlando
Wed, 11 Mar 2026World Boxing Futures Cup in Bangkok Update
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Wed, 11 Mar 2026