Philippines, 18 Sep 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


OPSI FETES VICTORIOUS BOXERS ROSALES AND DEMECILLO


PhilBoxing.com




CEBU CITY ? Omega Pro Sports International (OPSI) honored two of their road warriors after their successful campaign overseas. Two weeks ago, Jessie Cris Rosales (22W-1L-1D,10KO?s) travelled to Australia and shocked the home fighter Ibrahim Balla, who was knocked out in the second round.

A week later, Kenny Demecillo braved the bitter cold in Russia and stopped unbeaten hometown prospect Vyacheslav Mirzaev in four rounds.

Together with their Omega Gym stablemates, coaching staff and OPSI VP Jerome Calatrava, they had a Q and A with the members of the Cebu boxing media Saturday at the Manggahan Restaurant in Lahug.

Rosales was a ?last-minute? substitute in his fight for the WBA Oceania featherweight title.

?We received the offer with less than three weeks to prepare,? Calatrava stated, ?Rosales was always in the gym but he still had to cram to make weight.?

Eight months ago, Rosales suffered his first career loss to former two-division champ Jhonny Gonzalez of Mexico. The Omega gym trainers knew they had to go for the knockout against Balla, who represented Australia in the 2012 Olympics.

?We realized we would be outboxed and lose on points if the fight went the distance,? Omega Gym chief trainer Julius Erving Jungco, who was with Rosales in Australia said.

?Rosales was still 6 to 7 pounds over the limit a day before the weigh-in. I had to make him run lots of times. On the day of the weigh-in he had to lose four more pounds. I had to make him jog some more, use the threadmill, his legs were getting weak.?

?I just followed the coaches game plan,? Rosales stated, ?Just use one two combinations but use power punches.?

?We were worried he wouldn?t last the distance because his legs were tired,? Junco added, ?But Balla thought he could take Rosales? punches after outboxing him in the first round and decided to fight up close, that?s when Rosales caught him.?

The gamble paid off and Rosales now has a regional belt to defend.

?We may have to defend it in the Oceania region, fight again in Australia.? Calatrava said.

Demecillo was facing an unbeaten Russian prospect in the person of Mirzaev. But the cold wasn?t much of a problem for him. He spent time in Japan during the cold months as a sparring partner for IBF junior featherweight champ Ryosuke Iwasa.

Demecillo was better prepared for this fight, having sparred with a southpaw already. Still he was facing a WBC International silver bantamweight titleholder in his home turf.

?Our plan was to keep pressuring,? trainer Jingjing Tepora, who accompanied Demecillo stated. ?In the second, the Russian was hurt with body punches, so we continued our body attack, we knocked him down in the third and finished him in the fourth.?

Calatrava also said that Demecillo will be eying another regional bout. He previously held the WBA Oceania bantamweight, WBF intercontinental and Asia Pacific titles.

OPSI also announced that their other boxers will be seeing action in an April 3 fight in Bukidnon. (Separate story to follow).

Top photo (L-R): Kenny Demecillo, Jessie Cris Rosales and OPSI VP Jerome Calatrava.


From left: Trainer Jingjing Tepora, Kenny Demecillo, Jessie Cris Rosales, OPSI VP Jerome Calatrava, trainer Julius Erving Jungco.


Team OPSI.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • Vayson aims to make history
    By Joaquin Henson, , Thu, 18 Sep 2025
  • KAIPO GALLEGOS TRAINING CAMP NOTES
    , Thu, 18 Sep 2025
  • Day Two of 2025 USA Boxing National Open Delivers 108 Action-Packed Bouts in Tulsa
    , Thu, 18 Sep 2025
  • Bryce Mills Boxes James Bernadin At del Lago Resort & Casino On Thursday, Oct. 30, in Waterloo, NY
    , Thu, 18 Sep 2025
  • Caribbean Clash Returns Friday, November 7th at Gulfstream Park Casino in Hallandale, Florida
    , Thu, 18 Sep 2025
  • VM Sotto, City Council Recognize GM Joey Antonio
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Thu, 18 Sep 2025
  • Larida is Southern Coach of the Year
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 18 Sep 2025
  • D.C. Knockout Artist Scooter Davis Signs Promotional Contract with Top Rank
    , Thu, 18 Sep 2025
  • THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 15 SEPTEMBER 2025: Crawford Snatches Canelo's Undisputed Crown at 168 Lbs; Inoue Defeats Akhmadliev to Retain 4 Superbantam Belts; Crocker Outpoints Donovan
    By Eric Armit, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • TICKET NEWS: EUBANK JR-BENN II ON SALE FROM THIS WEDNESDAY
    , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • “Night of Champions” Returns to Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando on September 19
    , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • Canelo-Crawford: The Consolidation of Boxing’s New Commercial Empire
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • A New Era for Boxing: Canelo vs. Crawford Shatters Global Viewership Records on Netflix
    By Dong Secuya, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • Crawford Not the First Lightweight to Distinguish Himself at Super Middleweight
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • Kurt Scoby and Josh Popper Headline Boxing Insider Card September 19 in Times Square
    , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • Green and Gold 2025: Amateur Boxing’s International Gathering in Bolivia
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • Pakistan's Sameer Khan Set to Battle for UBO Youth World Title in Brico Santig’s Sep 27 Show in Thailand
    By Carlos Costa, , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • SAMBO Pilipinas is Southern NSA of the Year 2025
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • Kingsley “The Black Lion” Ibeh To headline historic “Legacy Nights” Inaugural Pro Boxing event in El Salvador
    , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • Smarts over power
    By Joaquin Henson, , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • HALL OF FAME FLIES FLAGS AT HALF-STAFF FOR TWO-DIVISION CHAMPION RICKY HATTON
    , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • Kazakhstan tops the medal table at the inaugural World Boxing Championships 2025 thanks to victory in the final bout of the competition
    , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • THRILLA IN MANILA GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 13: JOE FRAZIER’S HUMBLE BEGINNINGS AS AN AMATEUR FIGHTER
    By Maloney L. Samaco, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • A New King, A New Challenger: Turki Alalshikh Proposes Crawford-Benavidez While Canelo Alvarez Faces Defeat with Humility
    By Dong Secuya, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Highly Questionable Title Eliminator
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.