Philippines, 18 Sep 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


5 Pinoys in Miami


PhilBoxing.com



L-R: JC Manangquil, Reymart Gaballo and Sean Gibbons.

WBO bantamweight champion Johnriel Casimero isn’t the only Filipino fighter staying in the US during the pandemic. In Miami, there are five Filipino boxers under J. C. Manangquil’s SanMan stable of General Santos City working with Cuban trainer Osmiri (Moro) Fernandez and one of them, Reymart Gaballo, is ranked No. 1 by the WBA in the bantamweight division.

Aside from Gaballo, the other Filipino fighters in Miami are superbantamweight Mike (Magic) Plania, superfeatherweight John Vincent Moralde, superfeatherweight Mark (Machete) Bernaldez and welterweight James Bacon. Manangquil met Fernandez during a boxing promotion in New York City in 2016 and they hit it off, later deciding to team up to develop Filipino world champions. Fernandez, 49, took care of 42 fighters from 11 countries from 2007 to 2017 and they posted a combined record of 363 wins, 15 losses and five draws. Among those he trained were the Kameda brothers of Japan, Guillermo Rigondeaux and Yuriorkis Gamboa of Cuba, Carlos Buitrago of Nicaragua and Mussa Tursungaliyev of Kazakhstan.

Manangquil, 27, said the five boxers are in good hands. “Everything is good,” he said. “They have their own beds and food is provided to them. Only Reymart is single so four are married. We give them assistance when they need for their families in the Philippines. They live beside the gym so they’ve been training regularly. They’ve been in Miami since January.” Manangquil said when the lockdown was imposed in Miami, the fighters took a month off. “They’ve been training safely the last month and now, they’re ready for a fight anytime,” he said. “They’re with a great coach and my partner Moro. Their visas are OK. Since flights going home are hard, they’ll stay in Miami and wait for a fight and the COVID-19 situation to end.”

MP Promotions head Sean Gibbons said with foreign travelers restricted to enter the US, it’s lucky that Manangquil’s fighters are in Miami because they’ll be readily available for bouts when boxing returns. “Gaballo will fight on Showtime in August,” said Gibbons. “Working on the others now.”

Gaballo, 23, boasts a 22-0 record, with 19 KOs including 12 in the first round. In 2018, the Polomolok native decisioned Stephon Young to win the interim WBA bantamweight crown in Hollywood. Last August, he stopped Colombia’s Yeison Vargas in the third round in Minnesota to mark his third straight victory in the US. The 5-6 Gaballo has also picked up a win in Tulum, Mexico. It’s a crowded situation in the bantamweight division with Japan’s Naoya Inoue holding the super WBA and IBF crowns, England’s Nordine Oubaali the WBC title and Casimero the WBO belt. Additionally, Rigondeaux is the WBA “regular” titlist.

Plania, 23, has a 23-1 record, with 12 KOs and is coming off a win on points over previously unbeaten Nicaraguan Giovanni Gutierrez for the vacant IBF North American superbantamweight title in Miami last December. His only loss was to former WBA bantamweight champion Juan Carlos Payano of the Dominican Republic by a decision in Hollywood in 2018. Plania, however, floored Payano in the third round. The General Santos City native has won four of five fights in the US and also registered a triumph by decision over Roger Alonzo in Chetumal, Mexico, in 2017.

Moralde, 26, stopped Argentina’s Matias Arriagada in one round in Miami last December, his second win in five outings in the US, to raise his record to 23-3, with 13 KOs. In 2015, he outpointed Brayd Smith in Australia and after the fight, the previously undefeated hometowner collapsed and died two days later because of a blood clot in the brain. Bernaldez, 26, totes a 20-3 record, including 14 KOs. He has won two of three fights in the US and last December, blasted Renan Portes in one round in General Santos City. In 2018, Bernaldez dropped Kye MacKenzie in the fifth round but was stopped in the seventh after two trips to the canvas in Australia. Bacon, 29, has never fought in the US and last November, decked Darragh Foley in the first round but lost on points in Sydney. His record is 23-4, with 15 KOs.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • “Thrilla” card takes shape
    By Joaquin Henson, , Thu, 18 Sep 2025
  • Wishing Best to Jayson Vayson in his World Title Challenge!
    By Carlos Costa, , Thu, 18 Sep 2025
  • 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




  •  



     
    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.