Orient and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) lightweight champion Randy Suico headlines a blockbuster 78-round card, including four fights between Filipinos against Japanese, at the Mall of Asia this Saturday.
It’s the most ambitious project of MP (Manny Pacquiao) Boxing Promotions so far and Rex (Wakee) Salud said the card could be the beginning of an Asian Cup, a regional version of the World Cup, which the Philippines recently won via a 5-1 score over Mexico in Sacramento.
“We plan to hold this event every year,” said Salud. “It will be like the World Cup. Maybe, we’ll call it the Asian Cup. To start, it’ll be the Philippines versus Japan.”
The Philippines and Japan aren’t the only Asian countries with world champions today. Thailand and Indonesia are others. If Australia joins, it could be for the Asia-Pacific Cup.
Suico, 27, stakes his OBPF 135-pound crown against 5-10 1/2 Koji Samejima, 25, in the 12-round main event. Defending WBO Asia-Pacific superfeatherweight champion Jimrex Jaca takes on challenger Ryu Miyagi in another 12-rounder. Wyndel Janiola faces Hirotaka Hisataka in a tenner while Jun Plasidad meets Noriyuki Komatsu in a sixer.
Salud said the four Japanese fighters arrived here two weeks ago and are training like madmen at the Tiger City Gym in Mandaluyong.
“They don’t want to be embarrassed,” said Salud. “Japanese fighters are very proud. They don’t care if they fight in Japan or somewhere else. They fight to win, no matter the odds.”
Samejima is a major test for Suico who’s hoping a decisive win will bring him closer to another world title crack. The lanky Japanese has a 15-1-1 record, with six KOs, and has won his last four bouts, three inside the distance. A natural lightwelterweight, Samejima dropped down to lightweight for the chance to battle Suico and avenge the setbacks of four countrymen who lost to the Filipino.
Samejima’s only loss was a fifth round technical decision to Yusuke Doi in Osaka four years ago.
Suico is a shade shorter than Samejima and stands 5-9, making their fight look like a basketball match-up. He was stopped by WBA lightweight titlist Juan Diaz last year but has bounced back to score back-to-back wins over Pongpetch Chuvatana and Tomonori Nakagawa, raising his record to 26-3, with 22 KOs. His only other defeats were decisions to Mzonke Fana (whom he decked twice) and Javier Jauregui.
Curiously, Suico’s manager is from Japan, boxing expert Joe Koizumi who has guided two Filipinos to world titles, Luisito Espinosa (his second crown) and Joma Gamboa.
Jaca, 24, was stopped by Juan Manuel Marquez for the WBO interim featherweight crown last year but came back to halt Indonesia’s Simson Butar Butar – who has beaten Czar Amonsot twice – for the WBO Asia-Pacific diadem last February. His record is 28-3-1, with 13 KOs. Two of his losses were to Japanese – Nobuhito Honmo on points and Yasuo Kunimi on a seventh round KO. So Jaca is out for revenge, too.
Miyagi, 32, has won his last four outings. His record is 16-1, with 12 KOs, including 10 inside three rounds. Miyagi took a 20-month layoff before returning to the ring last year. His only loss was a decision to Kazuhisa Watanabe two years ago.
Janiola, 27, will have his hands full against Hisataka who once stopped highly regarded Philippine champion Bert Batawang in two rounds and decisioned Federico Catubay. Janiola lost a split decision to Shingo Yanoguchi for the OPBF lightflyweight title in 2003 and is out for payback against Hisataka. Janiola’s record is 18-4-1, with 9 KOs, compared to Histaka’s 15-5-1, with 5 KOs. Hisataka is coming off two losses on points.
