Can Jonas Sultan Spoil Puerto Rican Boxing Resurgence Vs Caraballo?
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 30 Oct 2021
Caraballo (L) and Sultan (R) during Friday's weighin in New York.
Puerto Rico is enjoying a boxing resurgence over the last two years producing four world champions and the promising likes of knockout sensations Edgar Berlanga and Xander Zayas, among other prodigies.
This weekend, it will get to showcase three more of its up and coming pugilist in Top Rank and Boxeo Telemonde promotions featuring Josue Vargas, Carlos Caraballo and Miguel Angel Marrero against fittingly, Mexican and Filipino opponents in two separate venues.
Vargas will go up against Mexico's Jose Chon Zepeda in what could be a world super lightweight eliminator while Caraballo takes on Filipino Jonas Sultan at the Hulu Theater in New York City.
Meanwhile Marrero will square off against Mexican Victor Betancourt Friday night, Oct. 29, at the Silver Spur Arena in Kissimmee, Florida headlining a Boxeo Telemundo telecast which the winner getting into world lightweight contender status
Vargas vs Zepeda and Marrero vs Betancourt would be another chapter in the continuing storied rivalry between Puerto Rican and Mexican fighters.
On the other hand, Caraballo and Sultan promises to add further to the budding rivalry between Puerto Rican and Filipino boxers that date back to the days of Carlos Ortiz and Gabriel Flash Elorde.
In recent years, Puerto Rican and Filipino fighters had figured in hotly disputed world title fights including Ivan Calderón vs Rodel Mayol 1&2, McJoe Arroyo vs Jerwin Ancajas and Wilfredo Mendez vs Vic Saludar, most of which ended up in favor of the Boracuan fighters.
Sultan hopes to overturn this trend and spoil this current Puerto Rican boxing surge by pinning Caraballo his first pro defeat, thereby putting himself in the mix in the heavy loaded bantamweight division where three other Filipinos namely Nonito Donaire, Johnriel Casimero and Reymart Gaballo are holding world title belts at WBC and WBO.
Sultan, 29 years old with a record of 17-5, 11 KOs is just 3-2 in his last five fights losing to Ancajas in an IBF title shot in 2018 and then to Athenas Dumezweni in South Africa a year later. But he holds wins over Casimero in 2017 and stopped Sonny Boy Jaro and Sharone Carter in his last two fights. He is a tough fighter, never been stopped and seems the right foe for Caraballo who has not gone past six rounds in his wins. Caraballo has won all his previous 14 pro bouts, all by knockout.
Boxing in Puerto Rico is considered a major sport, having produced more amateur and professional world champions than any other sport in its history. It currently has four reigning world titleholders namely Wilfredo Mendez, McWillilams Arroyo, Jonathan Bomba Gonzalez and Shakur Stevenson whose father is Puerto Rican.
According to Wiki, Puerto Rico ranks fifth worldwide between countries with most boxing world champions, and in year 2004, became the first country to have, at least, one world champion in every single one of the 17 current boxing weight divisions throughout the history. This number also places the island nation in the global lead in terms of champions per capita.
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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