Given what he considers as a once in a lifetime chance of lifting himself and his siblings out of poverty, orphan Lorenzo ?Thunderbolt? Villanueva, 26, has vowed to push himself to the limits to win his first world boxing championship against tough Indonesian fighter Daud ?Chino? Yordan in Singapore on May 5.
The title fight, one of the two world championships held in Singapore for the first time and hosted by the Marina Bay Sands will be for the vacant International Boxing Organization (IBO) featherweight title.
Today (Sunday, March 26), the undefeated Villanueva who holds a sensational record of 24 wins with 23 knockouts, three of his sparring mates and trainer Bruce Lerio will fly from the Southern Philippines province of North Cotabato where they are based to Manila and proceed to Baguio City to start a high altitude training which is expected to prepare him for what could perhaps be the defining fight of his young career.
Villanueva?s impressive record has been subject of scepticism and doubts expressed by boxing observers who feel that aside from two Indonesians and a Mexican who were all disposed off in the first round, the former World Boxing Organization (WBO) Oriental Featherweight champion does not have a long list of name opponents who could have tested his boxing prowess.
The suspicion that Villanueva is a hyped up boxer who has been carefully guided in his young career defeating easy opponents seems to have basis.
The only Filipino fighters defeated by Villanueva who could be considered as world-caliber are former Asian Games gold medalist Eric Canoy who was undefeated when Villanueva stopped him in the 10th round to win the WBO Oriental title and World Boxing Council (WBC) International junior featherweight champion Balweg Bangoyan who was stopped in the 6th of a title defense.
But Australian boxing man Angelo Hyder, who is co-promoting the May 5 double world championship event at the Marina Bay Sands Resort in Singapore with young Indonesian business tycoon Raja, says you could only get so much easy opponent in a boxer?s career. With 23 of his 24 opponents hitting the canvas, Hyder argues that the Filipino fighter must really have sensational power behind his punches.
Of the 23 knockouts that Villanueva scored, 9 came in the first round with the shortest KOs at 72 seconds into the fight against Indonesian Eddy Comaro and 77 seconds against Mexican Diego Ledesma in February of this year. Eight fights ended in Round 2 while only two fights went beyond six rounds.
Hall of Fame boxing trainer Freddie Roach, who has signed up Villanueva in the Wild Card Gym and handled the Filipino fighter for three weeks in Baguio City in October last year, confirmed that the Thunderbolt really packs power.
?He has the natural power and I admire his discipline and determination,? Roach told me in Baguio City last year.
But Roach admires the power, discipline and determination of Villanueva, he said that there is a lot of rough edges in the Filipino boxer?s fighting style that needs to be refined.
Villanueva?s stamina could also be a weak area. He has only fought a full 10-round bout once, against journeyman Jaime Barcelona who was knocked down in the fight but managed to last the distance.
Against the veteran Daud Yordan, a former Olympian, Villanueva will really have to stock up a lot of gas in his tank. While the Indonesian is not known to be a one-punch knockout, he has fought against and survived tough opponents.
Yordan fought countryman Chris John, one of only two Asian fighters who defeated Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez, and lost after 12 rounds of an exciting fight. He surived a second round knockdown and went the distance against world champion Celestino Caballero in 2010 and has never been stopped.
While younger by two years than Villanueva, Yordan is the more experienced fighter having fought 30 fights winning 28 with 22 KOs and boxed a total of 158 rounds.
Villanueva is an inch shorter than the Indonesian who is 5?7″ and has only boxed a little over 70 rounds.
?Stamina and endurance will be the critical factors in this fight,? said Cebu boxing man Antonio Aldeguer whose ALA Promotions handle Villanueva?s fights.
In Baguio City, where Villanueva and his sparring mates Rolando Magbanua, Ronnie Apilado and Rey Juntilla will train until he leaves for Singapore, the Filipino world title contender will work hard in high altitude to build up his stamina and endurance knowing that against Yordan he has to expect a fight that could last the full 12 rounds.
Raffy Panagan, a friend of the Braveheart Boxing Club of North Cotabato which manages Villanueva, said he will program Lorenzo?s activities to ensure that the endurance training will contribute to the preparation of the Filipino fighter.
Villanueva, who will train at the Coyeesan Gym where Manny Pacquiao trains in preparation for his fights, is hoping that his American trainer will be able to join him in the Baguio camp.
Roach is expected to be in the Philippines April 1 to train Amir Khan in preparation for his return bout with Lamont Peterson in mid-May. Khan reportedly prefers to train in Baguio City and that could be a blessing to Villanueva who has not been granted a visa to train in the US.
With Villanueva working on his stamina and endurance which he hopes to build up in the high altitude training in Baguio City, the other two remaining critical factors in a tough fight?power and heart?will come into play.
?Ensoy (Villanueva?s nickname) has the power and the heart,? said trainer Bruce Lerio and he feels that these two factors could help Villanueva achieve his dreams of becoming a world champion.
After all, endurance, stamina and skills could be developed. But power and courage are not taught in the gym.
