MAGBANUA BATTLES MEXICAN FOR WBO ORIENTAL TITLE
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 15 Jan 2009
Manbanua.
Undefeated Rolando Magbanua battles Mexico?s Jose Angel Cota for the WBO Oriental bantamweight title on February 21 in Cebu City while stable-mate Judy Maraon takes on Jason Egera for the WBO Asia Pacific version of the 118 pound title.
Titled ?Battle of the Bantamweights? the promotion of Cotabato vice governor Manny Pinol may feature WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa in a tune-up fight before his planned title shot at WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel ?Juanma? Lopez in April.
Penalosa?s manager Billy Keane indicated that Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer were close to finalizing a deal for the title fight and that he was looking to get a fairly easy opponent for a tune-up fight for Penalosa on February 21.
However, Keane said WBO president Francisco ?Paco? Valcarcel will not allow Penalosa to figure in a tune-up fight unless he first sees a signed contract for the Lopez fight.
The WBO earlier postponed the purse bid set for January 12 for Penalosa?s mandatory title defense against Puerto Rico?s former WBA flyweight champion Erik Morel because of Penalosa?s plan to move up and fight ?Juanma? Lopez at 122 pounds.
Keane at the same time said indications are Valcarcel will not approve an interim title fight between Morel and WBO super flyweight champion Fernando Montiel of Mexico and would probably choose a less formidable opponent.
Magbanua who has a record of 11-0 with 6 knockouts according to boxrec.com and is nicknamed ?Smooth Operator? will take on Cota who has a record of 8-3 with 6 knockouts.
Although Cota scored a first round KO in his last fight his opponent Alejandro Padilla had a miserable record of only 2 wins against 16 defeats and 2 draws with 1 knockout.
What is expected to be a thriller is the clash between undefeated 23 year old Jundy Maraon who boasts of a record of 12-0-1 with 9 knockouts against Jason Egera who sports a slate of 10-2 with 5 knockouts and is coming off a 7th round TKO of Thailand?s Pichitchok Singmanasak last July 8.
Maraon on the other hand won a ten round unanimous decision over Ruben Santillanosa who has suffered 4 losses and 1 first round technical draw against Reman Salim in 2008 and has a woeful record of 8 wins as against 20 losses and 2 draws with 5 knockouts to his name.
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