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Philippines, 17 May 2026 |
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Llover nears title shot By Joaquin Henson PhilBoxing.com Mon, 27 Apr 2026  Cavite southpaw Kenneth Llover is a win away from clinching a shot at IBF bantamweight champion Jose Salas of Mexico and the only roadblock is a final eliminator against Michael Angeletti of Texas in a 12-round battle of undefeated contenders at the Aichi Arena, Nagoya on June 8. Llover’s manager Gerry Peñalosa went through the wringer in negotiating the Angeletti fight which almost came down to a purse bid. Peñalosa is confident Llover, the reigning OPBF bantamweight ruler, will hurdle Angeletti and plans to stage the title fight against Salas here in September. But it won’t be easy beating Angeletti who at 5-8, is two inches taller and has a seven-inch reach advantage. Five of his last six bouts went the distance and the only exception was a third round disposal of Filipino Judy Flores in San Antonio, Texas, last year. Angeletti’s record is 14-0, with eight KOs compared to Llover’s 17-0, with 12 KOs. Llover, 23, is the IBF’s highest-ranked contender at No. 3 as No. 1 and No. 2 are vacant. Angeletti, 29, is ranked No. 5. Llover’s strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza, who worked with Manny Pacquiao for eight fights from 2008 to 2013, said he’s not worried about Angeletti’s power. “Kenneth can take big punches,” he said. “We’ll make it a high-intensity fight with lots of volume punching and pressure. I expect Kenneth to throw 60 to 70 punches per round and should be able to take out Angeletti anywhere between six to eight rounds.” Ariza said he’s bringing in Mexican chef Hector Pavon to prepare Llover’s meals in coordination with Los Angeles nutritionist Teri Tom. “I’ve worked with Hector for 15 years,” noted Ariza, a Colombian who now lives here. “Teri and I were on Manny’s team for the Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto fights. We’ve also worked with other athletes like basketball player Andrew Bynum. Hector will be with us in Manila and Nagoya. Teri will join us for the title fight in September.” Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.  |
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