Magsayo Title Crack, Ancajas 10th Defense and Cuarto-Taduran Rematch Open PH Boxing 2022
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 02 Jan 2022
Russell-Magsayo WBC poster.
Philippine Boxing hopes to carry the momentum of a very eventful and productive 2021 into the new year as four Filipino fighters will immediately figure in world title bouts in the first three months of 2022.
Mark Magsayo opens the Pinoy campaign on Saturday January 22 (Sunday, January 23 in the Philippines) as he attempts to wrest the WBC world featherweight crown from long time American defending titlist Gary Russell, Jr at the Borgota Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey to be aired live on Showtime.
The unbeaten Magsayo earned the mandatory challenger status following an impressive victory over Mexican Julio Ceja. He will however have his hands full against the crafty veteran Russell whose only career loss came at the hands of Ukrainian boxing wiz Vasyl Lomachenko back in 2014.
Russell won the WBC title by stopping Mexico's Jhonny Gonzales in 2015 but has defended the same only five times since then. The only other knock on the American is his low fight frequency of just once a year. In fact, Russell was even inactive the whole of 2021, something Magsayo should fully exploit to wrest his world title, potentially the country's fifth.
Cuarto (R) and Taduran (L) will engage in a rematch for the IBF minimum title.
The following Saturday, January 29 in Digos City, Davao del Sur, Rene Cuarto will defend the IBF world minimumweight title against ex titlist Pedro Taduran in a rematch of their all Filipino fight for the same belt almost a year ago.
Cuarto is looking to prove that his win over Taduran in Gensan was no fluke while the Bicol born Taduran aims to prove otherwise. And that he remains the best of a baker's dozen Pinoy fighters crowding the world rankings at boxing's lowest weight class that include another ex titlist Vic Saludar who is also making a comeback in the first quarter of 2022.
On February 5, IBF world super flyweight titlist Jerwin Ancajas will make the 10th defense of his belt versus unbeaten Argentine challenger Fernando Daniel Martinez in the USA The fight will be the main support to the Carlos Cuadras versus Srisaket Sor Rungvusai main event bout for the vacant WBC super flyweight title though according to boxrec, the fights are still pending approval with the fight venue still to be finalized.
Ancajas (L) defends his title against Argentina's Martinez (R) on Feb. 5, 2022.
Ancajas who had just one fight in two years due to the Covid pandemic impact on global boxing and travel, was supposed to meet Japanese WBO champion Kazuto Ioka on New Year's Eve in Tokyo but their unification bout was cancelled.
Jerwin needs this fight to stay busy but also needs to win to be able to meet Ioka for the unification in a later date. Ioka proceeded with the Tokyo fight by a successful title defense against a fellow Japanese, Ryoji Fukunaga.
Actually, lightweight Romero Duno has started the Filipino international ring campaign in 2022 but unfortunately he lost by knockout to his undefeated American opponent, Frank Martin at the Seminole Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, California on New Year's Day. Duno was himself on the comeback trail after a knockout loss to Ryan Garcia a couple of years back.
Though Philippine boxing lost long time great and multi division champion record holder Manny Pacquiao to retirement, the country gained world boxing championships through Vic Saludar and Cuarto earlier and Nonito Donaire later. Ancajas and Johnriel Casimero also managed to make successful title defenses.
On the amateur front, the Philippines also won a record high three Olympic medals including two silvers and a bronzes through Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam and Eumir Felix Marcial.
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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