Julaton defends WBO title Friday
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 25 Feb 2011
Fil-American World Boxing Organization lady super-bantamweight champion Ana ?Hurricane? Julaton will pick up from where her three other countrymen started when she fights dangerous Franchesca Alcanter Friday (Saturday in Manila) at the Craneway Pavilion in Point Richmond, California.
The 31-year-old San Francisco Bay-based champion is putting her crown on the block against the veteran challenger, who, by no means, a pushover pretender being an undefeated MMA fighter in their 1-round showdown.
Julaton (7-2-1), born to a Filipino couple who migrated to the United States in the 60s and 80s, is seeking to complete what could be successful month of February for the Philippines keyed off by fighters, whose names, for a change, are not Manny Pacquiao.
Coming from a three-week training under the supervision Hall Of Fame handler Freddie Roach in his Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, Julaton though expressed confidence of a victory and add glitter to the heroics displayed by Mercito ?No Mercy? Gesta, Mighty Mark Melligen and Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire, who early in the month gave the Philippines the reputation as today?s ?boxing capital? of the world.
While at the famous Wild Card sweat shop, Julaton, in her twice-a-day training regimen, sparred with male counterparts that, if she is to be believed, made her as tough, if not tougher, than the lady who wants her stripped of her title.
?I?m more than ready for this fight. I believe my stint at Wild Card had given me the necessary weapon to successfully defend my title and contribute, in my own little way, to the glory our country now enjoys in the international boxing scene,? the pretty statuesque, five-foot-seven fighter said by way of answering queries through her website.
?This is my first fight in the Bay Area in two years and I?m definitely excited to put on a show in front of my hometown crowd once again. I trained hard for this fight and feel very much better,? Julaton added.
Against the bigger and more experienced Alcanter, named ?The Chosen One? Alcanter (18-9-1), Roach and his team of trainers left no stone unturned in preparing Julaton, who engaged top-flight sparring partners such as Rhonda Luna and former World Boxing Council light flyweight champion Rodel Mayol.
?Yes, I?ve been sparring with a male for the most part of this camp and I should say that I more than held my own against them, ? she assured.
"Ana punches like a man. Her punches hurt, that's why when I spar with her, I also try to stay on my game or else I'll get hit with a hard punch," Mayol attested
While the Filipina three-time world champ is fighting in her own weight, Alcanter is going down in what her handlers believe is one factor going for her; that is besides her natural advantage in speed and accuracy.
Although Pacquiao did make a lot of noise outside the ring when he met with US President Barrack Obama and when he unveiled his new 'Justin Bieber-esque' hairstyle it was Gesta, Melligen and Donaire who made the country proud atop the square ring the past few weeks.
Gesta started things off by stopping Genaro Tranzancos for the second time after three rounds in their rematch that was held at the Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco last week. The next day, ALA Boxing Gym's Melligen proved too 'Mighty' for the formidable Gabriel Martinez, whom dominated on the way to a lopsided unanimous decision win.
And of course, who can forget that superstar-making performance by Donaire when he obliterated bantamweight king Fernando Montiel in 2 rounds for the Mexican?s World Boxing Council and World Boxing Organization bantamweight crowns, in the process following Pacquiao?s footsteps as another Filipino ?Mexicutioner.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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