MEPRANUM, SONSONA, CONCEPCION LEAVE THE COUNTRY FRIDAY FOR DIFFERENT ASSIGNMENTS ABROAD
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 28 May 2010
Richie Mepranum.
Effective, counter-punching southpaw Richie Mepranum (25-1-1, 5 KO?s) was scheduled to leave for Los Angeles Friday night to wind up his training at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles in preparation for his Philippine Independence Day battle for the vacant WBO flyweight title against Julio Cesar Miranda (31-5-1, 24 KO?s) in Mexico.
Mepranum was joined by Filipino trainer Restituto "Buboy" Fernandez as well as Philippine bantamweight champion Eden Sonsona and world-rated featherweight Bernabe Concepcion (28-3, 15 KO?s) who is scheduled to face WBO champion Juan Manuel "Juanma" Marquez (28-0, 25 KO?s) in a title fight in Puerto Rico on July 10.
The 21 year old southpaw Sonsona (21-5, 7 KO?s) takes on the vastly experienced Genaro Garcia the 32 year old super bantamweight with a record of 36-8 with 20 knockouts on the Marquez-Concepcion card. Garcia has fought a roster of champions including WBA super bantamweight champion Wilfredo Vazquez Jr, former WBC champion Toshiaki Nishioka and WBC bantamweight champion Hozumi Hasegawa.
Garcia lost by a 7th round TKO to Vazquez Jr on November 20, 2009, suffered a 12th round TKO against Nishioka on June 3, 2009 and dropped a twelve round unanimous decision to Hasegawa on November 13, 2006.
Sonsona who is a bantamweight scored an impressive 2nd round TKO over Eilon Kedem on November 14, 2009 on the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto undercard and then scored a spectacular 8th round knockout over former world champion Mauricio Pastrana on the Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey undercard at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium on March 13, 2010.
In between his US fights Sonsona won the Philippine title with a 45 second opening round KO of Monico Laurente.
Well known Filipino TV boxing analyst Moy Lainez told us that Sonsona had trained hard and sparred well and he was confident that despite moving up in weight to face Garcia, Sonsona "will give a good fight. This is a real test for him because Garcia is no pushover."
According to Pacquiao?s adviser Michael Koncz who handles Sonsona?s fights abroad along with Pacquiao, the promising youngster would earn a title shot against Wilfredo Vazquez Jr should he beat the veteran Garcia.
However, Lainez cautioned that super bantamweight champion Vazquez Jr was "too big and too strong" for Sonsona who is only a bantamweight and it wouldn?t be wise to match him against the Puerto Rican who knocked out former WBO super flyweight champion "Marvelous" Marvin Sonsona, a cousin of Eden, in four rounds.
Lainez also told us that Mepranum who is from Sarangani, the province where Pacquiao won a congressional seat last May 10, had looked good in sparring at the Rod Nazario Gym in Sucat, Paranaque. Lainez said Mepranum who completely out-boxed power-punching Mexican Hernan "Tyson" Marquez to hand him his first setback after 27 wins with 20 knockouts last March was "a very good counter-puncher."
Miranda is coming off a 3rd round TKO over Faustino Cupul for the vacant IBF Latino title last April 4, 2010 after dropping a 12 round unanimous decision to Moruti Mthalane of South Africa who had previously lost by a 6th round TKO to IBF/IBO flyweight champion Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire.
Miranda also lost a unanimous twelve round decision in a clash for the WBC interim flyweight crown against Thailand?s Pongsaklek Wonjongkam on August 24, 2009.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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