DESPITE THE fact that there are many world-class Filipino boxers waiting in the wings to get their shot at international stardom, many of them believe their future still lies in the hands of the country’s current toast in Manny Pacquiao.
And this is why a number of them if not all top-notch boxers are hopeful that the 26-year-old Pacquiao will continue to give them a free ride to prominence by winning his anticipated 12-round rematch versus Erik “El Terrible” Morales early next year in Las Vegas.
“Sana maituloy pa ni Manny ang tagumpay niya para mas mapadali ang pagkilala sa maraming boxers natin na pwedeng isabak na talaga sa world title” stated Rodel Mayol, the country’s best bet in the minimumweight division.
The 24-year-old Mayol (21-0, 16 KO’s) is slated to face Mexican Lorenzo Trejo in a 12-round World Boxing Council (WBC) title eliminator on Jan. 28 in Cancun, Mexico.
Ex-world flyweight ruler Malcolm Tu?acao is set to defend his newly acquired Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) bantamweight crown versus undefeated prospect Kohei Ohba on Feb. 25 in Osaka, Japan.
The 27-year-old southpaw Tu?acao (19-1-2, 13 KO’s) , currently ranked 6th in the tough bantamweight division, conceives an easier route to the world title should Pacquiao beat Morales.
“Marami sa atin ang pwedeng sumunod kay Manny pero iba na rin talaga kung manalo siya kay Morales para mas pansinin ng mga malalaking promoters sa Amerika ang Pinoy boxers,” said Tu?acao, obviously aware of the age-long politics going in the sport.
In the same February card topbilled by Tu?acao, defending Oriental superfeatherweight king Randy Suico will stake his belt against one-time world title challenger Ryuhei Sugita of Japan.
The 29-year-old Suico (23-2, 20 KO’s), once regarded by Pacquiao as a future world beater after having several sparring sessions, hopes to crash into the world ratings should he score a convincing victory over Sugita.
WBC No. 10 bantamweight contender Rey ‘Boom Boom’ Bautista, continues his campaign in the US when he battles Mexican Gerardo Espinoza in a non-title match in El Cajon, California on Dec. 23.
Hawaiian sensation Brian Viloria, now a superstar in the country also because of his Filipino lineage, will stake his WBC lightflyweight crown versus ex-105-lb kingpin Jose Antonio Aguirre of Mexico sometime in February also in the US.
Also, former world superflyweight champion Gerry Pe?alosa, a 10-round decision winner against Paraguayan Dario Azuaga over the weekend, cannot wait to get a crack at the International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight crown of Mexican superstar Rafael Marquez.
The 33-year-old Pe?alosa, the 10th ranked challenger in the IBF division, admitted that he is constantly communicating with controversial American promoter Murad Muhammad regarding a possible title fight against Marquez sometime next year.
