TUNACAO DEFENDS OPBF TITLE IN TOKYO TODAY
By Salven L. Lagumbay
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 13 Jan 2007
Reigning Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) bantamweight champion and WBC no. 4 contender Malcolm Tunacao defends hist title today against Japan-based compatriot Rolly (Lunas) Matsushita in a 12-round encounter at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
Both Tunacao and Lunas are managed by Japanese boxing managers who have guided them back into the world-title contenders.
At yesterday's weigh-in held at the Japan Boxing Commission office, both Tunacao and Matsushita came in at 117.6 lbs in advance of today's title showdown.
On the undercard, two other Filipino fighters see action as RP bantam boss Michael Domingo takes on local boy Kazuyuki Ichikawa in a 6-round non-title duel, while highly-rated Michael Farenas battles another Japanese Takuro Matsubara in a 4-round dukeout.
Tunacao sparred more than 100 rounds at the famed ALA Gym in Cebu in preparation for this fight, while Lunas did his gym work at the Kashimi Boxing Gym in Japan, where he logged in some 85 rounds under Japanese trainer Mack Kurihara.
"I did my assignment at the gym, and I came prepared for Lunas. I cannot afford to lose as I am looking forward to challenging the WBC champion," Tunacao said before leaving for Japan early this week.
Matsushita, for his part, maintains that he has never been in better shape going into a fight and that he is putting all his focus on dethroning the talented Filipino southpaw Tunacao.
"I have already logged in 85 rounds of sparring under my trainer Miyaki 'Mack' Kurihara," informed Matsushita, the former PABA flyweight champion, in a long-distance interview.
To prepare for Tunacao, Matsushita said he has been sparring against Benedict Suico and Jun Talape, who are both fighters belonging to the Wakee Salud Gym.
Suico and Talape had been especially commissioned to help Lunas defeat Tunacao. Both fighters are slated to return to the country on January 14, the day after the fight.
"With this fight, I want to give honor to my sponsor the Matsushita company," added Lunas, who said that more than 30 branches of the Matsushita group will be rooting for him come fight night.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Salven L. Lagumbay.
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