EDEN SONSONA BATTLES VETERAN GENARO GARCIA ON JUANMA LOPEZ-CONCEPCION UNDERCARD
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 21 May 2010
Philippine bantamweight champion Eden Sonsona (21-5, 7 KO?s) battles Mexican veteran Genaro Garcia (36-8, 20 KO?s) on the undercard of the WBO featherweight title fight between Juan Manuel ?Juanma? Lopez and Bernabe Concepcion on July 10 in Puerto Rico.
Pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao?s adviser Michael Koncz who accompanied Concepcion to the big press conference in Puerto Rica told us that MP Promotions and he himself were ?on the move again and had a good meeting? with boxing officials at the press conference.
Koncz said ?it is confirmed? that Sonsona would engage Garcia in a ten-round bout on the Concepcion-Lopez fight card which is drawing a lot of attention.
Pacquiao?s adviser said ?more importantly it was agreed with all parties including the WBO? which is headed by Francisco ?Paco? Valcarcel of Puerto Rico, that ?if Eden prevails on July 10 he will earn a world title fight in August against the WBO 122 pound champion Wilfredo Vazquez Jr.?
However, Vazquez has a mandatory title defense against former Hungarian Olympian Zsolt Bedak (15-0, 5 KO?s) on May 29 and a win will assure Sonsona of a title shot provided he beats the 32 year old Garcia who lost by a 7th round TKO to Vazquez Jr last November 20.
Garcia had earlier lost by a 12th round TKO to Japanese world bantamweight champion Toshiaki Nishioka in Yokohama on January 3, 2009 after dropping a unanimous twelve round decision to another Japanese, then WBC world bantamweight champion Hozumi Hasegawa who recently lost his title in a stunning 4th round TKO to WBO champion Fernando Montiel in Tokyo.
Sonsona is coming off an impressive 8th round knockout of former world champion Mauricio Pastrana on the Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey undercard at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium last March 13. following his US debut in which he scored a 2nd round TKO over Eilon Kedem on November 14, 2009 on the Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto undercard.
Ringsiders said the Sonsona KO reminded them of Pacquiao's sensational 2nd round knockout of Britain's IBO light welterweight champion Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton in which Pacquiao seperated Hatton from his senses with a devastating left hook.
Sonsona is managed by Rommel Nazario, son of the late Rod Nazario, business manager, father-figure and mentor of Pacquiao who had promised Nazario during his last days that he would look after the career of Sonsona which he has done.
However, well-known boxing man and TV analyst Moy Lainez who is a partner of Nazario in the weekly boxing show ?In This Corner? said Sonsona was ?a little to small? to fight Vazquez since he is only a bantamweight but that they would see how he does against Garcia before finalizing any decision on a title fight.Sonsona is scheduled to leave for the Wild Card Gym of Freddie Roach in Los Angelss together with Filipino trainer Buboy Fernandez and Concepcion on May 28.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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