ANOTHER FILIPINO FIGHTS FOR WBO WORLD TITLE ON DECEMBER 16
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 06 Dec 2012
Another talented Filipino boxer, southpaw Jose Ocampo fights for the WBO world lightweight title against Ricky ?Rickster? Burns of Scotland at the ExCel Arena in London on December 16, Manila Time, which is the same day Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire defends his WBO super bantamweight title against Jorge?Travieso? Arce in Houston, Texas.
Well known promoter Sammy Gello-ani told the Manila Standard that Ocampo who has a record of 17-5-1 with 12 knockouts has been training hard at his gym in Misamis Oriental is ?in tip-top condition, is ready for the fight, has no problems with the weight and is motivated.?
Gello-ani said he could feel ?the same motivation from him, similar to Johnreil Casimero when he won the IBF world light flyweight title against Luis Lazarte in Argentina.?
He said ?this boy has a very strong desire to uplift their lives and he told me, ?Sir, I will try all my very best especially since I now have a newly-born baby and you helped me in my marriage. It means the more I have to work for this.?
Gello-ani and Ocampo leave for London on Monday.
Burns who has a record of 35 wins with 2 defeats and 10 wins by knockout won the interim world title with a twelve round unanimous decision over Australia?s Michael Katsidis on November 5, 2011 and was elevated to champion when he beat 34 year old Paulus Moses (28-1, 19 KO?s) of Namibia by a unanimous decision last March 10.
In his last title defense Burns who is 29 scored a 4th round TKO over Kevin Mitchell of England when referee Terry O?Connor stopped the contest with just one second to go before the end of the round.
Although the 23 year old Ocampo is clearly the underdog, Burns told ESPN ?Filipino fighters are as tough as they come. Just look at (Manny) Pacquiao and (Nonito) Donaire. Like the Mexicans and Africans they come to have a fight and Ocampo will do just that. If he fights like those two as people say he does then I?ll be in for a tough night.?
Ocampo who dropped a 5th round technical decision to talented Rey Labao on August 6, 2011 has since won his last three fights by TKO in a total of six rounds, scoring a 4th round TKO over hard-hitting Weng Haya to win the vacant WBO Asia Pacific super featherweight title last March 4.
Ocampo who comes from Sarangani province which is represented in Congress by Pacquiao said he will watch the Pacquiao-Marquez fight on TV before taking the long flight to London.
He said he expects Pacquiao to win convincingly and that he himself will be ?going to London with only one thing on my mind and that is to win the title.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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