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THE PINOYS ARE BACK AND THE WILDCARD IS BUZZING By Ed de la Vega, DDS PhilBoxing.com Tue, 01 Jun 2010  It was a nice late spring day today for a visit to the Wildcard Gym. Besides, the timing was just perfect as the boys are back in town. With that the electric atmosphere picks up a notch highlighted by the renewed sparring rivalry between the returning Pinoys and the others that frequent the gym for quality sparring. Of course, Rodel Mayol was there. In fact he has been there for a few weeks now training for his WBC mandated rematch against Omar Nino Romero of Mexico on June 19th. Mayol seem to be peeking just right and his training camp could not be any better. He is now spars 12 every other day. In two weeks or so he and his Team will fly to Queretaro, Mexico and defend his world junior flyweight crown. Also spotted today was Eden Sonsona who is fighting on the undercard of the Bernabe Concepcion-Juan Ma Lopez title fight on July 10th at Puerto Rico. Sonsona was supposed to fight the aging veteran Genaro Garcia of Mexico but Garcia was recently replaced by Jonathan Oquendo of Puerto Rico. Oquendo appears to be a better test for Sonsona compared to the veteran Garcia. He is younger and faster than Garcia so a fight with Sonsona has the making of a huge slam-bang affair. Bernanbe Concepcion was there as well. He is being trained by Freddie Roach and Buboy Fernandez, Manny Pacquiao?s side kick, trainer and best friend. Concepcion is challenging JuanMa Lopez for his crown. Pundits around the gym as well as those who lurk on the internet are not too confident of the chances of Concepcion against the hard hitting Lopez. In fact, he is a huge underdog. The fact that the fight is happening in Puerto Rico which is home for Lopez puts Concepcion at a disadvantage. Surely the crowd will be loudly backing their home boy and that in itself sometimes puts a negative effect on out-of -town challengers. But Concepcion has a huge puncher?s chance in pulling an upset. That is if he starts strong and finishes strong. He could also KO Lopez if he lands a big punch. Roach of course will be working with Concepcion how to get that done. Richie Mepranum was there too. Richie is well remembered as the unknown youngster who flew in to Vegas the day before his fight and came out a winner the next evening. Mepranum scored a unanimous decision over six rounds against Cesar Lopez at MGM Grand that fateful evening on December 6, 2008. Then on November 2009, he scored another victory at the MGM Grand. This time he won via a split decision over Ernie Marquez of Mexico. In his last fight, he was fitted against Herman Marquez the undefeated Latino fighter who brushed away 27 opponents in a row. Against Mepranum on March 12 this year at the Gaylord Texan Hotel near Dallas, Texas, Marquez seem to have run into a block wall. For some reason, he could not catch Mepranum who poke and hit him from all angles all night and came out with a unanimous decision over 10 rounds That lost was the first suffered by the previously undefeated Mexican they call ?Tyson?. Mepranum will be meeting Julio Cesar Miranda on June 12 for the vacant WBO Flyweight title in Mexico. Another Pinoy champion spotted at the gym today was Ana Julaton. Julaton is a two title belt holder in the women?s super bantamweight division. Julaton previously trained in Northern California with Nonito Donaire Sr. After a loss at the Casino Rama in Ontario, Canada a few months ago, she came back to the Wildcard Gym and train under Freddie Roach. Top photo: Rodel Mayol (R) spars at the Wildcard Gym Monday. 
Bernabe Concepcion does the mitts with trainer Buboy Fernandez. 
Ana Julaton in sparring. 
Ritchie Mepranum (L) in sparring. 
Eden Sonsona. Photos by Dr Ed de la Vega. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ed de la Vega, DDS.  |
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