Ranee Ganoy, the Filipino sensation taking Australian boxing by storm, gets the chance for revenge when he tackles tough Thai Somchai Nakbalee at the Kedron Wavell Services Club in Brisbane on November 30.
The show is being promoted by Angelo Di Carlo, a great friend to the fight game in Australia and the father of Olympic hopeful Nathan Di Carlo .
Heavyweight Nathan Briggs, the bigger, older twin of light-heavyweight contender Paul Briggs, faces Samoan tank Alex Leapai on the same card for the vacant OPBF heavyweight title. Ganoy, (23-10-2, 19 KOs) the IBF”s No.13 junior-lightweight, will be defending his IBF Pan Pacific lightweight title. Nakbalee (9-3-1, 3 KOs) outpointed Ganoy in his pro debut in 2004 in Songkla, Thailand in 2004 but Ganoy is a much more dangerous proposition now.
The Thai has been fighting as a welterweight recently, losing to rising stars Samuel Colomban (points) and Robert Medley (TKO 9). Ganoy is one of the most exciting fighters in Australia and is best know for ending the career of Brisbane’s beloved world champ Robbie Peden.
He has won nine of 12 fights in Australia since 2004, beating such stars as Peden, Joey di Ricardo, Matthew Paulley, Fatai Onikeke, Ty Allen, Allen Luxford, Mick Shaw and Jungstar Min. He gave new world champ Michael Katsidis one of his toughest bouts.
Ray Wheatley, the IBF’s top man in Asia and the South Pacific, said Ganoy had the potential to follow Manny Pacquiao to a world title despite a number of losses early in his career. “The guy is so explosive,” Wheatley said. “He can knock out anyone in the world if he connects. A very exciting kid who has done a lot to promote the image of Filipino fighters as real warriors.”
