After stories of his backing out from the congressional race surfaced, superstar Manny Pacquiao will go back to the sport for a while as a promoter, when he presents a card on March 3 in Manila, just days before he departs for the United States.
After almost six months of inactivity, the highly-talented Eriberto ‘Yukka’ Gejon resurfaces when he takes on Thailand’s Wisan Sor Suchanya in a 10-round bout topbilling the MP Promotions card at Manila’s Rajah Sulaiman Park.
The lanky Gejon (22-1-1, 14 KO’s), a protege of Rex ‘Wakee’ Salud, last saw action on September 22, 2006, hardly breaking a sweat against Thai Yoddoi Sithsoei, whom he stopped in two rounds also in Manila.
Before this bout, however, Gejon took his longest absence so far, when he was sidelined for one year following a heart-breaking decision loss in his first world title challenge against WBA minimumweight ruler Yutaka Niida.
The rest of the March 3 card pits Apol Suico against ex-Olympian Danilo Lerio; Roel Laguna versus Mervin Batolina; Bogie Delada against Danilo Pena; Gedion Amba versus Armando Casa; and Darryl Pucdol against Rocky Batol-Batol.
A women’s fight featuring Gretchen Abaniel against Baina Londo will also be showcased in this card being co-promoted by the Rex ‘Wakee’ Salud International Promotions.
WBO CITED FOR BIG PRESENCE IN HISTORIC CARD
The country’s top promoter, Sammy ‘Don King’ Gello-ani, yesterday expressed confidence that his group’s relationship with the World Boxing Organization (WBO) will remain strong following the hugely successful ‘Moment of Truth’ card in Cebu City over the weekend.
Although there had been numerous reactions regarding the outcome of the main event featuring WBO superfly king Fernando Montiel and challenger Z ‘The Dream’ Gorres, Gello-ani maintained that the WBO had no hand in the decision, and that he looks forward to a better and stronger relationship with the Puerto Rico-based boxing organization, which is credited for the meteoric rise of the ALA Boys into the world rankings.
“Something might be said of the officiating, but no doubt, WBO president Paco Valcarcel had nothing to do with that, and we even appreciate his flying over to personally see the fights at ringside,” Gello-ani stressed.
“I have had a great experience in dealing with the WBO, and we have great plans ahead with the WBO as our partner. We cannot allow a single experience to taint whatever we have planned ahead,” the top promoter emphasized, adding that he might submit a tape of the Montiel-Gorres fight to the WBO for review, once and for all. “If there were lapses done by the referee, let WBO impose their own sanctions on it if it is not within the rule.
According to Gello-ani, the May 5 bout featuring undefeated ALA Boy Rey ‘Boom Boom’ Bautista against another unbeaten figher Sergio Medina of Argentina will be fought as a WBO eliminator, and the boxing organization should be cited for sanctioning the bout as such.
“I mean, the WBO is trying to make a strong presence here in Asia, with the Philippines as one of its earliest allies here. We just have to move on, as the WBO is very sincere in their plans here,” said Gello-ani, who is in fact in the thick of things for his upcoming WBO promotion featuring Donnie Nietes’ titular defense of his Asia Pacific crown sometime in April in Victorias City, Negros Occidental.
Gello-ani is slated to fly to the United States for the Marco Antonio Barrera-Juan Manuel Marquez fight on March 17, and he said he hopes to strengthen whatever was started here when the WBO officers made a brief visit.
