GELLO-ANI TAKING NO NONSENSE FROM MARVIN SONSONA
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 21 May 2012
With what could well be a career defining fight coming up at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on July 6 against WBO Latino featherweight champion Orlando Cruz, promoter Sammy Gello-ani is taking no nonsense from former WBO super flyweight champion ?Marvelous? Marvin Sonsona.
Gello-ani told the Manila Standard that he had warned Sonsona that ?if he doesn?t come down to the training camp in Baliangao, Misamis Occidental I will not send him to the US.?
The well-known promoter conceded he was ?scared because in Cebu, Sonsona had a girlfriend and after training he goes to her house and there?s no control over his weight.?
Sonsona apparently heeded the warning and reported to the training camp. Gello-ani said Sonsona?s weight was okay and they had agreed that before he leaves for the US on June 4 " he had to be in tip top shape."
Gello-ani said Sonsona would work out at the gym of Pablo Sarmiento who is the trainer of WBC Diamond middleweight champion Sergio ?Maravilla? Martinez in Oxnard.
Gello-ani?s partner, international matchmaker and promoter Sampson Lewkowicz had informed him that if Sonsona was not disciplined and in perfect shape, ?he cannot come to the US? and train under Sarmiento.
He said Sonsona got the message and he (Gello-ani) was ?so happy with the developments and everything is good so I prepared his ticket for a June 4 departure to Los Angeles.?
Sonsona has been training under Danny Bactol and has been sparring four to six rounds with Rey Labao, Weng Haya and Chris Rosales who are big boys and put in a lot of good work.?
Cruz, a former Olympian, has a record of 18-2-1 with 9 knockouts. His only two defeats were against top class opponents in Cornelious Locke and Daniel Ponce de Leon.
Cruz scored a sensational 1st round knockout over undefeated Michael Franco (19-012 KO?s) to win the WBO Latino Interim featherweight title on October 14, 2011 after a 20 month layoff.
Cruz caught Franco with a stinging left straight followed by a solid right hook that dropped Franco for good at 2:59 of the opening round.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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