FILIPINO FIGHTER PITS AGAINST CHINA’S XIAOLIN
A historic first in professional boxing title bout in local shores will take place between a Filipino and a Chinese on October 29 at the Mandaluyong Sports Complex, boxing patron Gabriel Elorde Jr. announced.
Veteran Filipino boxer Carlito Brosas was tapped to fight Xiaolin Xia for the vacant World Boxing Empire (WBE) Asia Pacific Welterweight title in the main event of a card dubbed “China vs. RP”.
Elorde, eldest son of the great Flash Elorde, bankrolls the scheduled 12-round fight with full support from Mayor Boyet Gonzales of Mandaluyong City.
The 25-year old Brosas is a boxer-puncher who made waves in 2001 when, in his United States debut, scored a second round knockout win against the then undefeated American Cesar Esquivel at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma City, Washington.
The victory against Esquivel led him to a big fight against former IBF light welterweight king Vince Phillips at a huge venue, the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Nov. 3, 2001 as one of the undercards in the well-publicized second round knockout win of Kostya Tszyu against Zab Judah in their world light welterweight title unification fight.
“Nang masilat ako sa third round ni (Vince) Phillips, nakalusot sa akin ang opportunity na makapagpatuloy sa mga big time fight, kaya gusto kong makabawi ngayon,” said Brosas.
Xia became the first Chinese prizefighter to see action in the Philippines if not Southeast Asia.
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