MEPRANUM DESERVES THE ACCOLADE TOO
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 11 Dec 2008
Lost in the hysteria of a Manny Pacquiao Dream Match victory over Oscar de la Hoya was the marvelous triumph of Maasim, Sarangani boxer Richie Mepranum.
Still jittery from jetlag because he arrived in Las Vegas after a 13-hour flight from Manila, barely three days before the fight, Mepranum, like his idol Pacquiao, overcame the underdog status he had in the shimmering boxing ring of MGM Grand Arena. He carved out a six-round unanimous decision over his more experienced foe.
He won the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Oriental flyweight title over previously unbeaten Tanzanian Juma Fundi. He was once a Philippine Boxing Federation flyweight champion. These credentials earned him a ticket to Las Vegas, Nevada to face Cesar Lopez of El Paso, Texas.
Coming from an underprivileged family, Richie?s dream of fighting in the big time came during that eventful Dream Match. He has a three-year contract with Top Rank Promotions which could be extended with an outstanding performance in the ring.
As an amateur boxer, Mepranum was a 9-time gold medalist in the invitational and national boxing tournaments he participated in. He was ably managed by Maasim Mayor Jojo Lopez who was instrumental in convincing Pacman to include his fighter in the undercard of the celebrated Dream Match.
A splendid welcome awaits the local boxing hero upon his return to the Municipality of Maasim and the Province of Sarangani. Being the only Filipino boxer to fight in the preliminaries of the world famous Pacman-de la Hoya match, and beating his opponent convincingly against the odds, Mepranum also deserves a national recognition. Next in his agenda is the hope to fight for a world championship.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
SD FIGHT NIGHT: FAMILY BUSINESS DOUBLE MAIN EVENTS SET AS JULIUS “JUJU” BALLO SQAURES OFF AGAINST ROMAN REYES AT FRONTWAVE ARENA ON SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2026
Mon, 23 Mar 2026"I'M A MAN OF MY WORD": GEORGE LIDDARD COMPLETES MATCHROOM BRENTWOOD HALF MARATHON FOR CHARITY – HOURS AFTER DENNY WIN
Mon, 23 Mar 2026Lester Martinez Wins WBC Interim World Super Middleweight Championship with Unanimous Decision over Immanuwel Aleem
Sun, 22 Mar 2026IBF Pan Pacific champion Vince Paras set to face unbeaten OPBF champion Aoi Yokoyama in Kyrgyzstan
Sun, 22 Mar 2026King James sets NBA all-time record for most games played
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Sun, 22 Mar 2026Loaded boxing schedule
By Joaquin Henson, Sun, 22 Mar 2026WEIGHTS, IMAGES, RUNNING ORDER AND THE LAST WORDS AHEAD OF ADAMES VS. WILLIAMS IN ORLANDO
Sat, 21 Mar 2026COPPER BOX ARENA FIGHT NIGHT: WEIGH-IN RESULTS AND RUNNING ORDER CONFIRMED AS LIDDARD AND DENNY FACE-OFF FOR FINAL TIME
Sat, 21 Mar 2026Weights From ‘Martinez vs. Aleem’ Event from the NOS Event Center in San Bernardino and Broadcast live on ProBoxTV
Sat, 21 Mar 2026Jordan Orozco Training Camp Notes
Sat, 21 Mar 2026Towns vs. Bordin for PAT Belt; De Barbo, Nancholas, Samiei in Supporting Bouts at Brico Santig's Exciting Show in Pattaya Beach, Thailand
By Carlos Costa, Fri, 20 Mar 2026YOENIS TELLEZ TRAINING CAMP QUOTES
Fri, 20 Mar 2026Lebron James ties the most game played in NBA history
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Fri, 20 Mar 2026Pichay supports GM Antonio's Australian chess circuit campaign
By Marlon Bernardino, Fri, 20 Mar 2026LIDDARD-DENNY PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES IN FULL: EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID AHEAD OF SATURDAY'S COPPER BOX FIGHT NIGHT
Fri, 20 Mar 2026