FIGHTING a bigger fighter doesn?t faze AJ ?Bazooka? Banal, who is set to face Luis Alberto Perez in the main event of Pinoy Pride tonight at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City.
?I don?t care about that (size advantage), even if he comes in as a heavyweight,? a confident Banal, who tipped the scales at 116 pounds in yesterday?s weigh-in at SM City Cebu, told Sun.Star Cebu.
Banal is 21-1-1 with 17 knockouts, while the two-time world champion Perez is 26-4 with 17 knockouts.
?I will try my best to knock him out but I will not rush it. I?ll knock him out in the later rounds,? said Banal.
Perez, who is an inch taller and has a 2 ?-inch reach advantage over the 21-year-old Cebuano, will use his size to his advantage on fight night. His manager, Mario Antonio Garcia Fonseca, is confident of his boxer?s chances of knocking out the highly-rated Filipino tonight because of his size advantage.
?Perez will knock him out. Starting from the fourth to the later rounds,? said Fonseca, who added his 32-year-old ward will be at least 15 pounds heavier tonight.
The visiting Nicaraguan, who is the former International Boxing Federation super flyweight and bantamweight titlist, was at 117 ? pounds yesterday, and could be at 130 pounds today. Their fight is at the catchweight of 120 pounds.
US-based welterweight ?Mighty? Mark Jason Melligen (19-2, 13 KOs) is taking on heavy-handed Mexican Bladimir Hernandez (18-3, 16 KOs) in the main supporting bout.
Melligen made the weight at 151 pounds in his first try, but it took Hernandez two attempts to make the 155-pound limit. He was two pounds over in his first attempt but made it in his second at 154.
In the main card, Jason Pagara (23-1, 11 KOs) is facing off Thai Sapapetch Sor Sakaorat (20-6, 11 KOs) while knockout artist Larry ?Bon Jovi? Canillas (15-2, 13 KOs) will face veteran Ramie Laput (38-4, 17 KOs).
Household name Jun Intor (14-9-5, 6 KOs) will lead the undercard as displays his wacky ring antics against a game Romano Gelig (3-18-1) in a four-round rematch.
Up-and-coming prospect Wilbeth Loberanis (4-0, 1 KO) is slugging it out with Joel Lagusan (3-2, 1 KO), Ryan Canillas is facing Renjie Sabanal (0-1) and Rey Melligen (1-0, 1 KO) is fighting 36-year-old Avelino Valleser (3-8-2, 3 KOs) to wrap up the action-packed boxing extravaganza.
