Expect More All Pinoy Tiffs At Boxing's Lowest Weight
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 11 Mar 2021
Recent Pinoy champs Vic Saludar (L) and Rene Cuarto.
Despite two successive all Filipino fights that saw ex WBO titlist Victorio Saludar winning a title with the WBA and Rene Mark Cuarto wresting the IBF crown in bouts separated only by a week, we can expect more all Pinoy tiffs at highest level in the minimumweight, pro boxing's lowest weight class.
This is due to the still prevailing travel restrictions on account of the raging Covid-19 pandemic which kept the world champions from Thailand and Puerto Rico at home while preventing the entry of visiting challengers.
Another reason is that Filipinos have the most number of world rated fighters in the division bannered by Saludar and Cuarto and their just vanquished foes, Robert Paradero and Pedro Taduran respectively. The others include Melvin Jerusalem, Marco John Rementizo, OPBF champion Lito Dante, Samuel Salva and Clyde Azarcon.
We should not forget erstwhile rated Ar Ar Andales, Mark Anthony Barriga and Rey Loreto who were only victims of hometown decisions when they fought for the world title.
Andales and Loreto were at the shorter end of officiating when they fought in Thailand against WBC champion Thamanoon Niyomtrong or Knockout CP Freshmart in 2019 and 2017 respectively. Barriga lost by split decision in the US to Carlos Licona of Mexico in 2018 for the then vacant IBF minimumweight title. Licona lost the title to Deejay Kreel of South Afroca who also vacated the belt to fight at light flyweight, allowing Taduran to win it in 2019 over Salva.
All three of Andales, Loreto and Barriga are still active.
Another reason is that the recent all-Filipino world title fights were so closely fought that rematches are not remote.
One thing is also still up in the air: who among these almost a dozen Filipino world titlists and rated fighters is really our best?
Saludar is considered by the Ring and the Trans National Boxing Ratings Board as the best Filipino minimumweight.
But Mendez showed that he can be outwitted in Puerto Rico and Paradero came very close to beating him in their recent bout.
Taduran who also made a successful title defense in Mexico drawing with the tough and experienced Daniel Valladares (who holds an earlier TKO win over our own Christian Araneta at light flyweight), could not believe he lost to Cuarto.
Not far behind are Jerusalem and Dante who claimed the scalp of promising Japanese minimumweight Tshubasa Koura in winning the OPBF title some time back.
Jerusalem lost a questionable verdict to then long time WBA champion and world best record holder Wanheng Menayothin in 2017, losing by just a point on all three judges scorecards, 113-114.
Menayothin lost his WBA crown and world best record last year to countryman Panya Pradabsri. Earlier he was elevated as super champion by the WBA allowing the Saludar-Paradero fight for a secondary or tertiary belt.
Most likely, Menayothim will fight Pradabsri to regain his title precluding any title defense by the latter against Jerusalem or any foreigner contender in Thailand any time soon.
On the other hand, any Filipino challenger of Mendez in Puerto Rico is either nearly impossible given the travel restrictions or an exercise in futility given the reputation for hometown decision of the island.
These factors will surely militate for more boxing fights involving our numerous world class minimumweight fighters against one another in the months to come.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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