THE future is bright for Omega Boys Jessie Cris Rosales and Kenny Demecillo after impressive victories overseas.
Rosales has received offers to fight outside of the country after his second-round knockout of former Olympian Ibrahim Balla to win the World Boxing Association (WBA) Oceania featherweight belt last March 11 in Australia.
?If the offers come our way, we?ll accept them,? said Omega Pro Sports International (OPSI) vice-president Jerome Calatrava. ?We are talking with some promoters in Australia. There?s an offer to fight in Perth. If there?s also an opportunity to fight in the US, then we?ll grab the opportunity.?
Rosales was a late substitute opponent but he shocked the heavily-favored Balla.
?I just followed the game plan and hit him with a heavy punch,? said the 26-year-old Rosales, who is 22-1-1 with 10 knockouts.
Demecillo, in the meantime, showed he deserves another shot at a regional title fight after a fifth-round knockout upset over formerly unbeaten Vyacheslav Mirzaev last March 17 in Russia.
?Kenny will fight for a regional title soon,? said Calatrava.
Like Rosales, Demecillo was a huge underdog against Mirzaev. But he did the unthinkable, beating a Russian in his own backyard.
?I feel very happy. I ?m happy that I won the fight against an unbeaten opponent,? said Demecillo, who is 14-4-2 with eight knockouts.
Meanwhile, Christian Araneta finally returns to action after a long layoff next month.
Araneta, one of the prospects of the Omega Boxing Gym, faces Ian Ligutan in a six-rounder on April 3 in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon.
?The doctor has already cleared him,? said Omega Boxing Gym trainer Jinggoy Junco. ?It takes time to heal from an operation and return to a hundred percent. That?s why we gave him a tune-up first.?
Araneta tore a muscle in his right shoulder in a sparring session in June of last year, forcing his fight with fellow world-rated Jessie Espinas to be cancelled. He hasn?t fought since a first-round knockout win over Demsi Manufoe in March of last year.
?I?m very excited to return. My training now is very different from last year. We?ll see how I?ll do,? said the 23-year-old Araneta, the former World Boxing Organization (WBO) Oriental light flyweight champion.
Araneta is 14-0 with 12 knockouts, while Ligutan is 6-10-2 with three knockouts.
Araneta?s teammates RR Borbon, Tomjune Mangubat, Marjun Piencenaves and Carlo Bacaro are also seeing action in the same card.
Borbon (5-2-1, 5 KOs) challenges world-ranked Robert Paradero (16-0, 11 KOs) for the WBO Youth minimumweight title in one of the main featured fights; Unbeaten Tomjune Mangubat (9-0, 8 KOs) locks horns with former ALA pug Boyse Sultan (9-9-1, 5 KOs) in an eight-rounder; Marjun Piencenaves (4-0-1, 3 KOs) faces journeyman Jeffrey Jimenez (8-32-2, 5 Kos); and Carlo Bacaro makes his pro debut against Rhonvex Capuloy (1-0, 1 KO). (EKA)
