MACAU--With his old team back with him this time, former WBO superflyweight champion Marvin 'Marvelous' Sonsona arrived here yesterday confident of dishing out an splendid performance against a very dangerous foe in WBA world superbantam king Akifumi Shimoda of Japan.
"He is prepared, and confident of this fight. He wants to show everyone that he's got back the hunger to become yet again a world champion," said Sonsona's Filipino promoter Sammy Gello-ani yesterday in an interview with Philboxing.com before boarding a Philippine Airlines flight to this Chinese territory.
Gello-ani was with Sonsona when the latter won the WBO belt back in 2009. Also with Sonsona this time is trainer Jhun Agrabio, who steered him into that title-clinching feat, as well as manager Rajan Yraola who also planed in for the fight.
"Our old team is together again. It's as if we are on a rebirth," added Gello-ani, who worked very hard along with international promoter Samson Lewkowicz to put up this fight under the Top Rank banner.
Sonsona versus Shimoda, a battle between two former world champions, will take place with the WBO International featherweight title on the line.
WBO Asia Pacific Chairman Leon Panoncillo is expecting a slambang bout between the two former world title-holders, noting that each of them needs a definitive win to inch closer to yet another world title crack.
Shimoda (28-3-2, 12 KO's) a battle-scarred native of Tokyo, is riding high on a five-bout winning roll following his shock defeat in his first title defense at the hands of Rico Ramos in 2011 in New Jersey. He won the title over Ryol Li Lee at the Ariake Colloseum in Tokyo prior to this.
Photo (L-R): Gello-ani, Sonsona and Panoncillo.
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