It is true that running is a basic essential to being a boxer. Prizefighters put in endless, and uncountable miles of road work.
WBO Inter-Continental Jr Featherweight champ Ramie Laput has proven he is more than a world class fighter. Laput, who could be considered the Philippines most unrecocognized contender for a world boxing title, just recently placed 9th out of a field of over 300 racers at the prestigous Davao City Kidayawan Festival 10K race.
The annual race that is run during the city’s festival is a coveted victory for competetive runners, and is attended by runners from all over the Philippines. Laput. the father of 2 young boys (Laputs wife will deliver baby #3 anyday now), has chosen to use his resttime between fights to prove he is also a competitive runner.
Laput, currently the WBO #4 world ranked challenger, is scheduled to defend his WBO Inter-Continental belt this Sept 24 in Cebu, where just 2 months earlier he defeated former world champ Sor Vorapin of Thailand.
Laput, manged by the American Boxing Academy, is in line for the WBO Jr Featherweight title eliminator scheduled to be fought early next year. Current champion JuanMa Lopez is scheduled to defend the title one more time before vacating to move to featherweight. The WBO title should be vacated by no later that Jan 2010. This is when Laput could get his chance at boxings most sought after jewel, the world title.
Top photo: Ramie Laput (C) with manager Ken Smith (R) and trainer Norman Wilson.
