Rey Loreto is ready for his first world title clash at Saturday's Monte-Carlo Boxing Bonanza
By Marlon Bernardino
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 31 Jan 2014
MANILA, Philippines -- Rey "The Hitman" Loreto, the 23-year-old talented pug from Davao City is gunning for the vacant International Boxing Organization (IBO) light flyweight opposite 31-year-old South African Nkosinathi Joyi dubbed as Monte-Carlo Boxing Bonanza at the Sporting Monte-Carlo on Saturday.
"He's proven to be something of an upset king," said the 37-year-old Brico Santig, the matchmaker and promoter in the Philippines with the highest number of boxing events last year, including the exciting boxing cards "King of the Ring" staged at different PAGCOR Casino Filipino around Manila.
"We are ready for war," added the Baguio native Santig, the 2013 WBC Asia-Pacific Promoter of the year.
A professional since the age of 17, Loreto beat world ranked former WBA champion Thai warrior Pornsawan Porpramook via technical decision for the WBA interim Pan Asian Jr. Flyweight title last August in Bangkok, Kingdom of Thailand.
Two years before, fighting again as a big underdog, Loreto knocked out world-rated Wisanu Kokietgym to annex the Pan Asian Light-Flyweight title.
The IBO, which is not one of the four most widely recognised international boxing associations, is known for an accommodating approach in sanctioning title fights.
The Joyi-Lorito fight is on the undercard of South African Rodney Berman's Golden Gloves Promotion, which features in the main bout unbeaten WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin against American-based Ghanaian Osumanu Adama.
Joyi's manager Siphatho Handi for his part said, "We are not taking the Filipino lightly. Under-estimating an opponent can sometimes boomerang and leave you with egg on your face."
In other scheduled bouts at Monte Carlo, Roman Belaev vs. Dean Byrne, 12, for the vacant WBA Continental welterweight title; Max Bursak vs. Jarrod Fletcher, 12, for Bursak's WBA Continental middleweight title and Ilunga Makabu vs. Ruben Angel Mino, 10, for cruiserweights.-Marlon Bernardino-
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