Eight Pinoys lined up for title shots
By Joaquin Henson
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 04 Jan 2023
Melvin Jerusalem will have a first crack at a title on Friday in Japan.
The year 2022 ended with a whimper for Philippine pro boxing as no Filipino reigned as world champion of the four prestigious governing bodies WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF. Dave Apolinario was a bright spot for capturing the IBO flyweight crown in South Africa last July but the title is lightly-regarded.
However, there is hope for a future of redemption as eight Filipinos are in line for world championship cracks within the first half of the new year. WBO No. 2/WBC No. 2/IBF No. 4/WBA No. 5 minimumweight Melvin Jerusalem of Bukidnon takes the first shot in facing WBO titlist Masataka Taniguchi in Osaka on Jan. 6. Jerusalem, 28, lost in his initial bid for the crown when he dropped a unanimous decision to WBC 105-pound champion Wanheng Meenayothin in Thailand five years ago. He has now won eight in a row and battles the lefthanded titleholder who holds a 16-3 record, with 11 KOs compared to his 19-2, with 11 KOs.
Others in the queue are WBC No. 2/WBA No. 3 bantamweight Nonito Donaire, IBF No. 1 superbantamweight Marlon Tapales, IBF No. 1/WBO No. 8 superflyweight Jade Bornea, WBO No. 3/IBF No. 6/WBC No. 11 bantamweight Vincent Astrolabio, WBC No. 3/WBA No. 9 featherweight Mark Magsayo, WBO No. 4/WBC No. 5 bantamweight Reymart Gaballo and IBF No. 3/WBA No. 7/WBC No. 9 minimumweight Rene Mark Cuarto.
WBC/WBA/WBO/IBF bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue is expected to relinquish his four belts and move up to the 122-pound division. His abdication will create opportunities for Donaire, Astrolabio and Gaballo. Donaire, 40, will be tapped to battle No. 1 Jason Moloney of Australia for the WBC strap. Astrolabio, 25, knocked out Russia’s Nikolai Potapov in an IBF title eliminator in Las Vegas two weeks ago and will engage IBF No. 2/WBO No. 2 Emanuel Rodriguez of Puerto Rico for the IBF crown. That will leave Gaballo to meet WBO No. 5 Melvin Lopez of Nicaragua for the WBO title.
Tapales, 30, is IBF superbantamweight ruler Murodjon Akhmadaliev’s mandatory challenger. The Uzbek has delayed the fight thrice but the IBF won’t allow another postponement, ordering a final purse bid on Tuesday. Tapales’ stablemate Jade Bornea is also a mandatory challenger and will next take on IBF superflyweight champion Fernando Martinez who dethroned Jerwin Ancajas. Bornea, 27, has an 18-0 record, with 12 KOs. Magsayo, 27, yielded his WBC featherweight belt to Mexico’s Rey Vargas on a split decision in San Antonio, Texas, last July. With Vargas reportedly set to invade the superfeatherweight ranks, Magsayo will likely dispute the soon-to-be-vacant title against No. 1 Brandon Figueroa. Cuarto, 26, lost the IBF minimumweight crown to Mexico’s Daniel Valladares on a controversial split verdict in Monterrey last July. He will challenge the winner of Valladares’ first defense against Ginjiro Shigeoka in Osaka on Jan. 6.
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