World Title Fights for Pinoys May Come Early in 2023
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 13 Nov 2022
Melvin Jerusalem.
If plans do not miscarry, we may see at least three Filipino boxers fighting for major world boxing titles by the first half of 2023 following breaks given especially by the leading World Boxing Council or WBC.
What is for certain is the bout of Melvin Jerusalem who will be opening up the Pinoy's campaign very early in the new year as he takes on and tries to bring back home the WBO world minimumweight crown from defending titlist Masataka Taniguchi in their title bout scheduled on January 6, 2023 in Osaka, Japan.
Jerusalem has previously challenged for the WBC diadem against then long reigning titlist Wanheng Menayothin in Thailand but was assessed loser by a close unanimous decision. Bucking another upset loss to fellow Pinoy Joey Canoy, Jerusalem has bounced back into title contention with consecutive impressive victories in his eight last fights.
Taniguchi, loser on points to then Pinoy WBO titleholder Vic Saludar in 2019, himself came back to finally bagged the same crown by defeating Saludar's conqueror Wilfredo Mendez last year.
Meanwhile,former three-time bantamweight champion and four division world titlist Nonito Donaire has been chosen to fight Australian Jason Moloney to fight for the WBC crown that current champion Naoya Inoue is expected to vacate, along with his other titles, once he succeeds in unifying all belts in his scheduled bout with WBO titlist Paul Butler also this December in Saitama, Japan.
Another Pinoy, ex-WBC interim champion Reymart Gaballo will fight Nawaphon Sor Rungvisai in a final eliminator to challenge the eventual winner between Donaire and Moloney.
On the other hand, former immediate featherweight titleholder Mark Magsayo has been named to face ex WBO super bantamweight titlist Isaac Dogboe of Ghana in a world title eliminator to determine the next challenger for the winner between current unified WBC-WBO junior featherweight titlist Stepen Fulton and ex super bantamweight titlist Brandon Figueroa who will be fighting for the WBC featherweight crown which could also be vacated by reigning champion Rey Vargas of Mexico who is fighting on the other hand against American Shaquille Foster for the vacant WBC super featherweight crown.
Finally, top ranking light flyweight Mark Vicelles has been ordered by the IBF to fight fellow Pinoy Regie Suganob in a final eliminator to determine the next mandatory challenger to new IBF world light flyweight titlist Sive Notshinga of South Africa. No final date has been announced yet but since this is an all Filipino affair, it could happen before the current year ends or at the most, first quarter of 2023.
Good luck and happy hunting to our Pinoy world title campaigners.
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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