BATAWANG IN IBF JR FLYWEIGHT ELIMINATOR
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 19 Dec 2008
Filipino light flyweight Bert ?Ninja? Batawang who is ranked No. 5 by the International Boxing Federation is scheduled to face Carlos ?El Olimpico?Tamara who is ranked No. 6 with the winner moving up as mandatory challenger for the title currently held by Ulises Solis of Mexico .
IBF Championship Committee chairman Lindsey Tucker Jr in an email to well-known promoter Sammy Gello-ani who handles Batawang has directed that negotiations ?should commence immediately and be concluded by January 2, 2009.?
Tucker said that if either Batawang or Tamara ?is contracted to fight another opponent, is on suspension or out due to medical reasons, under IBF rules he is unavailable? and the IBF will move to the next available contender. The IBF also made it clear that either fighter could not take ?an intervening fight until the elimination process is completed.?
Gello-ani informed www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports that he is moving to finalize negotiations for the eliminator to be held in the US . In case SGG Sports Promotions who represent Batawang and All Star Boxing who handle Tamara are unable to reach agreement before January 2, the IBF will order a purse bid.
The 37 year old southpaw Batawang lost by a 9th round TKO when he battled Solis for the title on December 15, 2007 in Guadalajara, Mexico but has since then won three fights in a row including a 4th round TKO over Thailand?s Samransak Singmanassak for the vacant WBO Oriental light flyweight crown last May 3. Batawang has a record of 48-11-1 with 36 knockouts.
Tamara, the 25 year old Colombian has a record of 18-4 with 13 knockouts and last June 20 won the WBO Latino title with a twelve round unanimous decision over Juan Esquer. Prior to that he lost a twelve round decision in a WBO light flyweight title fight against Omar Narvaez on January 25.
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