Jessebelle Pagaduan flies to Japan to make history this Saturday
By Rich Mazon
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 15 May 2014
The country?s current female minimumweight titlist out of Buguias, Benguet Province is back in the Land of The Rising Sun and determined to make history this Saturday.
Jessebelle Pagaduan, 29, (6-0, 4 KOs) will vie for the first ever World Boxing Organization (WBO) female atomweight (102 pound division) against veteran Nao Ikeyama,(13-3-1, 4 KOs) 44, of Sakaide, Kagawa, Japan.
Pagaduan, a full blooded and proud Igorot from the mountainous region of northern Philippines left Manila for Osaka, Japan yesterday, four days ahead of her big fight at the Azalea Taisho Hall, a famous venue for boxing and martial arts event in Osaka.
She is accompanied by her trainer and coach, Rene Banarez and will be joined later in the week by matchmaker and promoter Brico Santig of Highland Boxing of Benguet.
Pagaduan was successful in her first fight in Japan in 2013, defeating Chinese Li Yun Ting by TKO in Ishikawa. She trained in Manila for the most part of this camp and had sparring sessions at Manny Pacquiao?s MP Gym in Manila.
?This is a big break for me to fight for the world title.? said the Veterinary Medicine graduate from Benguet State University.
If Pagaduan is successful in her bid this Saturday in Osaka, she will become the owner of the WBO?s ever female atomweight belt. She will also be the country?s current world titleholder in women?s boxing and she will be joining Manny Pacquiao and Donnie Nietes as the country?s current champions.
You can reach the author at rrmaze24@aol.com and on Twitter @Freemazon910.
Photo: Team Pagaduan flies to Japan.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rich Mazon .
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