Last Quarter Push for PH Boxing
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 23 Oct 2019
L-R: Heno, Ancajas, Donaire and Casimero.
Four Filipino fighters take on separate rivals in important world championship bouts overseas starting this weekend in what could be a last quarter push to improve our overall record, performance and title harvest as well international profile in the year about the end.
This weekend, promising Edward Heno will try to wrest the IBF minimumweight crown from the head of Mexican defending champion Elwin Soto in Carson City, California. Heno, undefeated in 14 bouts with only 5 KO wins, is installed as the underdog against Soto who has a record of 15 wins, 11 by KO and just one loss
On November 2, also in Carson City, IBF super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas makes the second defense this year and eighth overall of his title against another Mexican Jonathan Javier Rodriguez. Jerwin is the prohibitive odds on favorite owing to his better record (31-1-2, 21 by KO ) and experience over Rodriguez who nonetheless holds a still impressive log of 21 wins, 15 by KO against a lone defeat.
Five days later, on November 7 in Saitama, Japan, WBA bantamweight super champion Nonito Donaire defends his title and tries to add the IBF crown held by the Japanese The Monster Naoya Inoue in the long awaited World Boxing Super Series Finals where the Ring Magazine belt and the prestigious Muhammad Ali trophy are also at stake. Nonito has also been installed as odds on underdog owing to the sensational win streak of Inoue and the fact that the fight will be held in Japan. Nonetheless, Nonito has the decisive edge in experience as well as slightly in size.
Finally, in November 24, former two division world titlist Johnriel Casimero will officially try to make it three as he takes on South African Zolani Tete for the latter's regular IBF bantamweight championship in the UK. Casimero will surely be the underdog in view of Tete's better record and reputation as well as his decisive size advantage over the Pinoy. The winner of this fight also stands to meet the winner of the WBSS finals between Donaire and Inoue.
As of to date, Filipino world title campaigners hold a 7-5 win-loss record since the start of the year.
Winners are once again are led by our Pambansang Kamao Manny Pacquiao who won his two scheduled fights on the way to defending his WBA regular welterweight belt and winning the WBA super title against Americans Adrien Broner and erstwhile undefeated Keith Thurman.
Other previous winners included Ancajas and Donaire themselves who knocked out their respective challengers, Japanese Roichi Funai and American Stephon Young in title defenses, Vic Saludar who defended his WBO minimumweight title over Masataka Taniguchi by decision in Japan, Casimero who won the WBO interim bantamweight title by knockout over over Mexican and Pedro General Taduran who won the vacant IBF minimumweight title by TKO over fellow Pinoy Samuel Salva.
Losers included Saludar who lost his world title against Wilfredo Mendez in Puerto Rico, Juan Martin Elorde who was stopped by Emmanuel Navarette in a failed attempt at WBO super bantamweight crown in the USA, Jonathan Taconing and Aston Palicte who were technically knocked out by Ken Shiro and Kazuto Ioka respectively in Japan in failed world title tries (WBC light flyweight and WBO super flyweight) and Carlo Penalosa who lost by technical decision to Maximo Flores in their battle for the vacant IBO world flyweight title.
Odds are not favoring our fighters with the sole exception of Ancajas.
Let us pray for the victories of all four in this our last quarter push for boxing glory.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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