Promoter Allan Tremblay, the man behind the Rumble at Rama series that continues Saturday night, used Thursday’s news conference to introduce his latest Filipino find, super bantamweight Ciso Morales.
Undefeated in 13 fights, Morales will make his Canadian debut before Saturday night’s co-main events – Steve Molitor’s tune-up fight against Argentina’s Jose Saez and Marvin Sonsona’s title defence against Alejandro Hernandez.
More important for Tremblay, the 21-year-old Morales represents another connection to the GTA’s Filipino community, a large and passionate group of boxing fans that travelled to Rama in huge numbers to watch native son Sonsona win 115-pound title in September.
Tremblay says tapping into that ready-made fan base is vital for a promotion that for too long depended solely on Molitor’s marketability, and only recently added Sonsona, who like Manny Pacquiao is from General Santos City, Philippines.
“We don’t want to lose that connection (to the Filipino community) when Sonsona’s not fighting here,” Tremblay said.
Saturday’s six-bout card culminates with Sonsona’s showdown with Mexico’s Alejandro “Payasito” Hernandez for the WBO’s junior bantamweight crown. Molitor, meanwhile faces Saez, a 35-year-old Argentine, in a bout meant to keep him sharp until a title fight materializes in early 2010.
The 122-pound Morales fights Miguel Gonzales of Mexico in one of the preliminary bouts.
