SONSONA IN WORLD TITLE FIGHT AGAINST MABUZA

The chances of 19 year old Philippine super flyweight champion Eden Sonsona in his IBO bantamweight title fight against champion Silence Mabuza of South Africa on February 2 have been downplayed by respected boxing writer Ron Jackson.

It will be Mabuza?s first defense of the title and will be held at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa and is promoted by Rodney Berman of Golden Gloves.

Jackson said Mabuza ?should not have much trouble with Sonsona who has a record of 14-2 with 3 knockouts and has been fighting as a super flyweight.?

The Filipino is ranked only No. 17 in the latest computerized ratings of the IBO top 100 in the super flyweight division while Mabuza is ranked No. 4 in the bantamweight division although he is the champion. The 30 year old Mabuza regained the vacant IBO belt last May 12 with a fifth round TKO over Mbwana Matumla.

Sonsona is coming off a seventh round TKO victory in a scheduled ten round bout against rugged veteran Celso Danggod last December 10 after dropping a twelve round split decision to Japan?s Kohei Kono in an OPBF title fight last October 6.

Sonsona won the Philippine super flyweight title with a twelve round split decision over veteran Eric Barcelona on May 20, 2006.

Since Gauteng is around 5,575 feet above sea level, Sonsona who is managed by Rod Nazario's son Romel begins two weeks of additional training in Baguio City and

will do roadwork in Benguet to get used to the high altitude in South Africa . Baguio is just under 5,000 feet in altitude.

TV boxing analyst Moy Lainez of Nazario's Wild Card Gym in BF Homes, Paranaque said the South Africans "will be in for a big surprise" since Filipino boxers who fought in South Africa in the past had no high altitude training. He also noted that Sonsona who leaves on January 26 would be in South Africa early enough to get acclimatized. This has been the undoing of several Filipino fighters in the past who arrived a day or two before a fight.