NORTH COTABATO'S CHAMP EDRIN DAPUDONG DEFENDS IBO TITLE IN SOUTH AFRICA JULY 18
By Lito delos Reyes
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 03 Jul 2014
Dapudong.
Davao City - North Cotabato's first world boxing champion, Edrin "The Sting" Dapudong, returns to South Africa next week to defend his International Boxing Organization (IBO) Superflyweight crown against Zulu Lwandile Sityatha in East London July 18.
It will be Dapudong's first defense of the title he won in June last year with a first round knockout scored over erstwhile champion Gideon Buthelezi in Johannesburg to whom he lost by a controversial split decision six months earlier.
The July 18 fight, which has already been sanctioned by IBO President Edward Levine, ends the long wait for Dapudong to defend his title following the cancellation of a scheduled bout with another South African, Zolani Tete, in February of this year.
That was followed by an aborted plan by a group of American and British promoters to stage a fund-raising boxing event in Manila last May 25 for Typhoon Yolanda victims which was supposed to feature Sugar Shane Mosley with Dapudong fighting in the undercard.
Now managed by a newly-established sports management firm, Sonshine Sports Management which is handled by his long-time manager former North Cotabato Gov. Manny Pinol and backed by popular religious leader Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy, Dapudong has been training for the past two months in the Manny Pacquiao Gym in Toril, Davao City under the supervision of Pacquiao's assistant trainer, Nonoy Neri and assistant trainer Rex Penalosa.
"I know the risks of fighting in South Africa. I have to win by knockout," Dapudong said.
Dapudong holds the record of being the first Filipino to win a world championship in South Africa after over 20 attempts.
In fact, he too, failed in his first attempt to win the then vacant IBO Superflyweight title when he lost to Buthelezi after 12 rounds which saw him sending the South African to the canvas for a mandatory 8-count in the 9th round.
Against Sityatha who is largely unknown, Dapudong is prepared to expect the unexpected.
"Kailangan talaga dito ma-dominate ko ang laban pero mas maganda kung knockout para wala nang peligro," he said. (I need to dominate this fight but it is best that I score a knock out so that there will be no more risks.)
Neri, who is employing the training techniques employed by Pacquiao's training team, said Dapudong is in the best of shape.
The Philippine team, composed of Gov. Pinol, Dapudong, Neri and Penalosa, will leave for South Africa on July 12, two heads earlier than scheduled.
"We have to be there early to give Dapudong enough rest because the trip is very long," said Gov. Pinol.
The trip will start in Davao City with a 6-hour stop in Singapore before a long 14-hour trip to Johannesburg.
"We will shoulder our own expenses during the first two days of our arrival in South Africa just to make sure that Dapudong is in top shape for the fight," he said.
The fight against Sityatha is part of the contractual obligations the Dapudong team signed prior to the championship bout against Buthelezi.
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