Wednesday, 29 July 2026 · Philippines
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PACQUIAO SPARRING PARTNER WINS VACANT PHILIPPINE WELTERWEIGHT TITLE

Nazareno.

Rock solid Dan Nazareno who provided ?Fighter of the Decade? Manny Pacquiao with some toughness in sparring when Pacquiao was preparing for his WBO International title fight against Brandon ?Bam Bam? Rios in Macau, is the new Philippine welterweight champion.

Nazareno won the vacant title with a 3rd round TKO of the smaller Ronnel Esparas in a fight card at the Balayan, Batangas multi-purposegym over the weekend.

Nazareno broke down Esparas who is not ranked by the Games and Amusements Board with vicious shots to the body and head forcing the game Esparas to quit at the end of the third round.

The 24 year old Nazareno who was ranked No. 1 by the GAB improved his record to 20-11 with 16 knockouts while the southpaw Esparas who is also 24 had lost his last five fights and fell to 10-14-1 with2 knockouts.

A tough fighter Nazareno who belongs to the gym of the late Rod Nazario has had an up and down career.

When he trained with Pacquiao for the eight division world champion?s November 24, 2013 fight at the Cotai Arena in Macau he worked hard, obviously encouraged by Pacquiao?s example and in a four round preliminary bout on the Pacquiao-Rios card hammered Manny?s touted British sparring partner Liam Vaughan to score a 2nd round TKO.

Nazareno Jr dropped a twelve round unanimous decision to undefeated Thai Chalermpol Singwancha who had a record of 6 knockouts in six fights last April 9.

He had previously lost by a 2nd round TKO to Min-Wook Kim in South Korea in an Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation light welterweight title fight on November 26, 2012 in Korea.

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