THREE PINOYS OFF TO SOUTH AFRICA FOR WBC BOUTS
By Salven L. Lagumbay
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 25 Mar 2006
Three young Cebu prospects will depart today for South Africa as they see action against separate opponents with the World Boxing Council International crowns at stake in a mammoth card dubbed 'Parade of Champions' at the Wembley Arena in Johannesburg in South Africa.
Benedict Suico, Mercito Gesta and Gabriel Pumar--all talented fighters who are barely in their 20's--take a Cathay Pacific flight to Hongkong noontime today accompanied by trainer Juanito Ablaca, en route to Johannesburg.
Suico (12-1, 9 KO's) and Pumar (8-0, 5 KO's) belong to the well-oiled Wakee Salud Stable while Gesta (8-0-1, 2 KO's) is a mainstay of the Stonewall Boxing Gym.
Suico, nephew of lightweight Randy 'Komong Bato,' will challenge WBC International flyweight champ Monelisi Myekeni in a 12-round bout, while Pumar takes on WBC International minimumweight kingpin Tshepo Lefele in another 12-round affair.
Gesta, an undefeated superbantamweight, takes on WBC International featherweight boss Jeffrey Mathebula in another 12-round affair.
All three fighters are given a better-than-average chance of unseating their South African counterparts, owing to their excellent training and sparring at the Wakee Salud Gym in Cebu.
Carl Penalosa Jr., who trains Gesta, assured yesterday that his ward in in superb physical shape it will take a super-special fighter or a biased officiating to beat him at this time.
Penalosa was apparently referring to the Randy Suico-Mzonke Fana 12-round showdown in 2004, where Fana was knocked down twice, and was beaten from pillar to post in the 12th round only to win a highly-controversial split decision over the Filipino. The WBC, acknowledging the officiating lapses committed by two of the three judges, later decided to retain Suico in the rankings.
Rex "Wakee" Salud, Manny Pacquiao's close associate, will personally fly to South Africa to make sure the three boys will be given a fair shake, and will coordinate with highly-respected promoter Branco Milenkovic to ensure fair officiating in the title matches.
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