CHICAGO – After patiently waiting for years, opportunity finally knocked on Randy Suico’s door late last June, when the World Boxing Association (WBA) told him to pack his bags for Las Vegas and get the chance to yank the lightweight belt from the waist of reigning-champion Juan Diaz.
Suico was at the Teiken Gym in Tokyo, Japan when the good news arrived.
He quickly got back home to Mandaue City, scrapped his appearance beneath the Pacquiao-Larios fight last July 2 before flying to the US for the biggest fight of his eight-year career.
Together with his trainer Juanito Ablaca Jr., Suico descended on California last June 26. He continued training at the Maywood Gym, where he sparred with high-caliber pugs such as “Famoso” Hernandez. Last Monday, he arrived in Las Vegas, ready for his date with destiny.
“Andam na ko (I’m ready), sir,” Suico told me on the telephone from his sixth-floor hotel room at the MGM Grand. Shy and never been one to talk much, Suico refrained from making any guarantees, promising only to do his best, like he always does since turning pro on Aug. 1, 1998.
Suico (24-2, 21 KOs) has watched several tapes of previous Diaz fights and he concedes that the champ is a tough customer, and that for him to bring home the bacon, Suico will have to be at his best, to land those Kumo’ng Bato hard and often.
“Bahala na og ma-igo, sir, basta maka-igo lang sab ko (Getting hit doesn’t really bother me as long as I’m able to hit him, too),” Suico said.
But Diaz might be hard to hit.
“He is a jabber, a boxer, and he is very quick,” said Ablaca of Suico’s vaunted foe.
Diaz (29-0, 14 KOs) is the real deal. He has defended the WBA lightweight belt four times since wresting it from Lakva Sim on July 17, 2004. Nicknamed the “Baby Bull,” the 22-year-old Houston native is relentless. He brings the fight to his foes, and like the monthly bills, he keeps coming at them.
But Diaz isn’t quite the unconquerable mountain. He is only 5-foot-6, three inches shorter than the towering Mandauehanon.
To win, Randy must stick his jab consistently against a shorter target, and with the patience of his 26 years, Randy could nail the ramming Diaz with one of his power shots.
“His power is his biggest edge over Diaz,” Ablaca said. “We will use that advantage wisely and effectively. We have nothing to lose.”
Since arriving in Sin City four days ago, Suico’s training had been reduced to light sessions devoid of sparring. His days begin at 6 a.m. when he jogs at Sunset Park. Breakfast is at 8:30 when he munches on fruits, vegetable salad, orange juice and tea.
Randy’s lunch consists only of liquids, a bottle of Lipovitan and Gatorade. At 2 p.m., he heads off to Gold Gym to break some sweat. Dinner is at 6 p.m. and the hard-hitting 5-9 destroyer feasts on rice, fish, vegetable salad and Miso soup. At 9 p.m., he hits the sack.
Randy admits to being nervous for fight night. But he is eager to go. He had waited a lifetime for a moment like this. And he will do everything in his power to not let it slip away.
