ALA stable owner Tony Aldeguer said yesterday he is negotiating for Cebu to host A. J. Banal?s fight against Panama?s Rafael (El Torito) Concepcion for the vacant WBA superflyweight championship on June 21.
?This is what we?ve been waiting for,? said Aldeguer. ?This is A. J.?s big chance. My dream fight is for A. J. to face Jorge Arce but that can follow. First, A. J. must beat Concepcion to win the world crown.?
Banal?s title shot was confirmed by international matchmaker Sampson Lewkowicz in an email to Aldeguer?s son Michael from Torreon, Mexico.
?A. J. is officially mandated by the WBA to take part in an official world championship fight for the regular WBA world title in the superflyweight division,? said Lewkowicz. ?When I stated on the first day that I saw Banal, he will be the youngest champion ever for the Philippines. I am pretty sure that on June 21, I paint a picture very close to the Mona Lisa by AKA Picasso.?
Lewkowicz is known in boxing circles as Picasso for his artistry in matchmaking.
If Banal wins the title on June 21, he will be the second youngest Filipino world champion at 19 years and six months old. The youngest ever was Ben Villaflor who wrested the WBA superfeatherweight crown from Alfredo Marcano at the age of 19 years and five months old in Honoulu in 1972.
Aldeguer said WBC superflyweight champion Christian Mijares? win by split decision over WBA titlist Alexander Munoz in a unification fight in Durango, Mexico, last Saturday cleared the way for Banal?s crack.
Lewkowicz said WBA executive vice president Gilberto Mendoza Jr. and championship committee head Oliver Gomez proclaimed the WBA superflyweight title vacant as Mijares is now recognized as the unified ?super? champion.
Banal is ranked No. 3 and Concepcion No. 6 by the WBA. Aldeguer said the No. 1 and No. 2 contenders Nobou Nashiro and Kohei Kono, both of Japan, will figure in their own eliminator while No. 4 Duangpetch Saengmorakot of Thailand and No. 5 Roberto Vasquez of Panama will give way to Banal?s fight against Concepcion.
Aldeguer said the open dates for the fight are June 21 and July 12 and 19.
Banal, 19, turned pro in 2005 and has compiled a 17-0-1 record, with 14 KOs. He has stopped his last four opponents, including previously unbeaten and world-rated Uruguayan Caril Herrera who was knocked out in the fourth round at the Araneta Coliseum last month.
Concepcion, 25, made his pro debut in 2002 and his record is 10-2-1, with six KOs. Last March, he survived two knockdowns to halt Jean Piero Perez in the third round. Perez was the third fighter to floor Concepcion who has never fought outside Panama. Although Concepcion has been a pro three years more than Banal, he has not been as active. He fought only once in 2006 in logging a total of 13 bouts compared to Banal?s 18.
