LAST week, ALA pugs Jason Pagara and Genesis Servania hurdled the challenge raised by their Mexican counterparts in another successful Pinoy Pride event held in Davao City.
Servania( 26-0, 11Kos) is currently the WBO inter-continental super bantamweight champion and is ranked no 4 by The Ring magazine. Pagara(35-2, 22KOs) holds the WBO International super lightweight crown and ranked at no. 4 by the WBO.
These two talented fighters arguably represent the next generation of ALA fighters groomed to become world champions like their stablemate Donnie Nietes.
Advertisement
Unfortunately, the road to glory is not an untrammeled path, but a difficult, dangerous journey.
PAGARA. Chris Algieri is the current WBO world champion in his division, but the list of contenders reads like a rogue?s gallery: Danny Garcia; Lamont Peterson; RuslanProvodnikov;LucasMatthyse;
Anyone of those fighters would probably be a handful for Pagara, so at this point in his career he needs to be tested by a top-level fighter first before he can consider targeting the big guns.
Garcia ,who is currently ranked no 1 by the Ring Magazine will be squaring off against Peterson on April 11 in a non-title fight. This event could shake things up a bit in this talent-laden division and clear the path for Pagara?s rise.
SERVANIA.Should Servania be given a title shot tomorrow, he would have his own set of problems with the current WBO champ Guillermo Rigondeaux. The shifty Cuban is a defensive wizard in the mold of a Pernell Whitaker. He is a terrific counter-puncher and specializes in making opponents look bad, and we can cite NonitoDonaire as our Exhibit ?A?.
Servania would probably match up better with undefeated Leo Santa Cruz who holds the WBC diadem. Interestingly, Albert Pagara, Jason?s younger bro has crashed The Ring?s rankings at this division at no. 10.
With ALA Promotions expanding its reach to US shores this year, it should be easier to get high profile fights for their fighters. But shrewd matchmaking has to be practiced, so that Pagara and Servania will be matched up against opponents suitable for their fighting styles.
MEGAFIGHT. I thought it was a dead giveaway when Manny Pacquiao coached but did not play with his KIA Carnival team last week.
Though dressed to play, Manny did his coaching job full time and that to me was a strong indication that he didn?t want to risk getting injured in a professional basketball game and endanger the chances of his mega-fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. I recall though he had no qualms playing against our Cebu media team a couple of years ago even when he was scheduled to fight Marco Antonio Barrera in a rematch.
But bear in mind that he was up against PBA behemoths in a pro-game, and the threat of an injury is very real. Plus, he?s older and wiser now.
Officially, he has no fight schedule yet, but he didn?t play.
Now, we have reports that he has already started training, which should make up for a perceived cramped training period should the fight go on as scheduled on May 2.
That should tell us a lot about the direction of this over-marinated super-fight.
LAST ROUNDS. Are on my favorite fellow Aquarians who are celebrating their birthdays this week: Jingle Fabroa Knight, Val Macapagal, Atty. Dennis Quiokeles and BordsHapin. Cheers!
