PERHAPS it was not his time yet, that fateful night on July 26, 2008 when AJ Banal succumbed to the suffocating pressure exerted by the pugnacious Rafael Concepcion.
But the way he was dominating the visiting Panamanian the first half of the fight, you could have sworn it was his destiny to become a world champion that night at the tender age of 20.
But it wasn?t, and in the 10th round, Banal was left scrambling on his knees, physically and mentally battered by the unexpected shellacking he had just been served.
OCT. 20. And that is why, I can?t help but get excited upon hearing the news that finally after four years, Banal will be getting his second stab at fistic glory on Oct. 20, 2012 at the Mall of Asia arena against Thai champ Pungluang Sor Singyu.
To put things in perspective, please recall that world title bouts are hard to come by, let alone those held locally. This bout is for the vacant WBO bantamweight belt and Banal had to wait in line and keep winning in order to get this shot.
Opposing camps rivet out competing bids and by meritocracy, the best bid wins out in the end. ALA Promotions and its partners reportedly had to move heaven and earth to prevent Banal from going to Thailand for this fight, and they succeeded.
All he has to do now is play his part.
RECORD. Sor Singyu brings a record of 42-1, 27KOs to the table which is quite formidable. He?s an orthodox fighter and is reportedly adept in boxing and counter-punching.
A closer look however, at the roster of opponents will reveal that he hasn?t been in there with top-tier fighters yet, as his best opponents would have to be Filipinos Marvin Tampus whom he defeated via 6th round TKO in 2011 and Eden Sonsona via unanimous decision in 2009.
But that is no cause for complacency as Sor Singyu is similarly a young, upcoming fighter at 24 years of age, and could be the division?s best kept secret.
The tricky thing with fighters who seldom venture out into foreign soil to prove their worth is that you never know how good they are until fight time. It may be that he just wasn?t given the proper opportunities, but that doesn?t mean he does not possess world-class boxing skills.
More importantly, the last time Banal fought for a world title, many fans (this writer included) practically presumed that defeating the unheralded Concepcion was a fore-gone conclusion, forgetting that fights indeed have to be fought first.
Banal certainly doesn?t want that loss to haunt him and so overlooking Sor Singyu is certainly not an option.
MENTAL. Another aspect that merits consideration is how mentally prepared AJ is for this world title shot.
Since that debacle to Concepcion, Banal has gone on a tear- winning all his 11 fights, 6 via the short route with one technical draw and one win via disqualification.
Yet the road to redemption has not been without its bumps.
In his win via disqualification to Luiz Perez in 2010, Banal seemed glass-eyed after being tagged with a succession of heavy shots from the formidable ex-world champion, before an errant blow was administered.
Perhaps there is still a haunting residue of that Concecpion loss that could make it an insuperable barrier for Banal to break. Whatever the case, he has to transcend that gilded mental cage, so that he can make full use of his physical gifts and potential.
Sitting next to AJ during the press conference, I had the impression that through the years, this young man is not at all bemused by his growing fame, and remains to be that kid who dreams of someday being a world champion.
Come Oct. 20 he will have a chance to decide his fate once more.
TWEETING. ?Baby girl,@oscardelahoya,baby girl you hear me, stop hating STOP IT RIGHT NOW,? ?@50cent is bout to be a movement in the boxing game.??Rapper 50 Cent?s Twitter message to Oscar de la Hoya.
LAST ROUND. It?s on Cesar Villahermosa, who turned 50 this week. Cheers!
