Four World Title Fights for Pinoys in Next two Months
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 02 Mar 2020
L-R: Magramo, Ancajas, Casimero and Donaire.
When it rains, it pours. And Filipinos are only beginning to feel the growing heat of the coming summer.
But we are talking of boxing as Filipino fighters are set to see action in four world title bouts in the next less than two months. Never in the past had Pinoy fighters been given such bountiful opportunity in such a short span of time with more than four world boxing titles at stake.
Early in April, two Filipino fighters will enter the ring, thousands of miles and a week apart as Giemel Magramo tries to win another world title in Japan while Jerwin Ancajas defends his in the United States.
On April 4, 2020 Magramo will take on emerging Japanese undefeated boxing star Junto Nakatani (20-0-0, 15 KOs) at the now historic Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan for the vacant WBO world flyweight crown. The title was vacated by Kosei Tanaka who is aiming to win another world belt at super flyweight versus countryman Kazuto Ioka, the WBO defending champion.
Giemel (24-1, 20 KOs ) will also be aiming to become the first of the three generations of the revered Magramo boxing clan to finally win a legitimate major world championship as his uncle, Ronnie, just won a minor WBF belt back in the 90s. The Magramo patriarch, Ric reigned two times as Philippine flyweight champion but never gone past fighting for the Oriental belt in the 60s.
Nakatani is coming off back to back stoppage wins over Filipinos Philip Luis Cuerdo and former world titlist Milan Melindo in 2019 after winning the Japanese national flyweight title.
A week later on April 11, 2020, on the other side of the Pacific, Ancajas will make his ninth defense of his IBF super flyweight title against Mexico's Jonathan Javier Rodriguez (21-1, 14 KOs ) at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada as main event of a Bob Arum's Top Rank Promotion fight card.
Jerwin (32-1-2, 22 KOs) is the Philippines longest continuously reigning world champion, first winning his title in 2016 against McJoe Arroyo of Puerto Rico in Metro Manila. He was originally set to defend against the same Rodriguez late last year but the Mexican pulled out due to alleged training injury and Jerwin instead defended against Chile's Miguel Gonzales whom he defeated by technical knockout.
With the recent defeat of UK's Khalid Yafai who lost his WBA crown to former WBC titlist Roman Chocolatito Gonzalez just this weekend, Jerwin is also now the most senior of the reigning world super flyweight champions in terms of tenure.
Exactly two weeks later, on April 25, 2020 also in Las Vegas, Nevada, Johnriel Casimero will take on Japanese fighting legend Naoya Inoue in their much awaited major US debut with his WBO and Inoue's WBA, IBF and Ring Magazine lineal world bantamweight titles at stake.
Casimero (29-4-0, 22 KOs) won the WBO title by shock three rounds stoppage of the erstwhile highly regarded South African defending champion Zolani Tete in Birmingham, UK last November.
Inoue (19-0-0, 16 KOs) on the other hand outpointed Nonito Donaire in their hard fought World Boxing Super Series bantamweight finals in Saitama, Japan also last November to add the WBA super belt to his WBA regular and IBF titles and win the Ring Magazine lineal championship belt.
Three weeks later, on May 16, 2020, Nonito Donaire will take on French Algerian WBC bantamweight champion Nordine Oubaali in a title bout to be carried on television by Showtime in a fight venue still to be determined in the US West Coast.
The winner of the fight to be promoted by Tom G Brown will most likely be pitted against the winner of the Casimero-Inoue unification bout.
Donaire (40-6-0, 26 KOs) will be aiming for a third world title reign in the bantamweight while Oubaali (17-0-0, 12 KOs ) will be looking to retain his title after previously repulsing the challenges of Filipino Arthur Villanueva and Japanese Takuma Unoue, Naoya's younger brother.
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.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Dare To Enter: Undefeated WBC Interim Champion Vergil Ortiz to Defend Super Welterweight Title From Number 1 Contender Erickson “The Hammer” Lubin
Fri, 22 Aug 2025Euri Cedeno Takes on Willie Jones on Friday, September 5th at Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem, PA
Fri, 22 Aug 2025COE AND HART CLASH ON BOOTS ENNIS CARD IN PHILADELPHIA
Thu, 21 Aug 2025‘There's nothing that he brings to the table that I've not got an answer for’ Sam Rennie on upcoming fight at Thunderdome 51
Thu, 21 Aug 2025JAMAINE "THE TECHNICIAN" ORTIZ TRAINING CAMP NOTES
Thu, 21 Aug 2025Gervonta Davis vs. Jake Paul: Exhibition Bout Announced for November
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Thu, 21 Aug 2025Legendary boxing coach John Brown Compares cornering Tommy Morrison & Rising young star Marco Romero
Thu, 21 Aug 2025World Kid to Host Meet-and-Greet and Open Workouts In advance of “The Return” on August 31 in Detroit
Thu, 21 Aug 2025Assassin’s Creed: Brian Norman Jr. Signs Multi-Year Contract Extension with Top Rank
Thu, 21 Aug 2025Five Philippine FIDE Masters are scheduled to arrive in Roxas City
By Marlon Bernardino, Thu, 21 Aug 2025Boxing Promotional Powerhouse Top Rank Confirmed for Eighth Annual Box Fan Expo, During Mexican Independence Day Weekend, Saturday, September 13, in Las Vegas
Thu, 21 Aug 2025THRILLA IN MANILA GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 12: MUHAMMAD ALI LOSSES THEN WINS AGAINST KEN NORTON
By Maloney L. Samaco, Wed, 20 Aug 2025Pasig and Quezon City top 1st PCAP Rated Open championship
By Marlon Bernardino, Wed, 20 Aug 2025Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford Full Fight Card Revealed
Wed, 20 Aug 2025Sadam Ali's career highlight: Defeating Terence Crawford to become 2008 U.S. Olympian
Wed, 20 Aug 2025