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Philippines, 27 Mar 2026 |
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MARAON, GONZALES US DEBUT ON JULY 5 PhilBoxing.com Wed, 28 May 2008 Salinas City, California - Two of Southern Philippines' most promising boxers, bantamweight Jundy "Pretty Boy" Maraon and featherweight Glenn "Rapid Fire" Gonzales, will appear in the American boxing scene for the first time when they fight in the undercard of the Ricardo Torres-Kendall Holt World Boxing Organization (WBO) jr. welterweight championship July 5 at the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Cameron Dunkin, boxing advisor to the Braveheart Boxing Club of North Cotabato to which the two boxers belong, said Maraon and Gonzales will be going up against still unnamed Mexican opponents. "I have talked to Top Rank's matchmaker today and we are finalizing the arrangements for the fights," Dunkin said earlier today. Maraon, 23, (10 wins, 8 KOs and 1 draw) will fight for 8 rounds while Gonzales, 22, (6 wins, 4 KOs and 1 draw) and the reigning WBO Asia Pacific Youth Featherweight Champion will appear in the 6-round bout. North Cotabato Vice Governor Manny Pinol, who owns and manages the Braveheart Boxing Club, said Maraon's and Gonzales' fights while only preliminaries in a world championship fight, are very crucial as their performance would indicate the quality of boxers coming from Mindanao, specifically North Cotabato Province. "I have asked the boys to give their best. And I am confident that the boys will make waves and boxing fans will surely take a second look at them," Vice Gov. Pinol said. Gonzales, a southpaw, and 5' 7" tall, is a former Asian Youth silver medallist who carries the monicker "Rapid Fire" because of his relentless fighting style. His development in the professional boxing ranks, however, was delayed because of a very critical bone graft that he underwent to replace a shattered bone in his left hand. A third-degree cousin of Vice Gov. Pinol and a native of M'lang, North Cotabato, Gonzales spent a year in recovery before making a comeback scoring three straight victories with two knockouts. Maraon, also a southpaw and 5' 6" tall, is a native of Suminot, Zamboanga del Sur, who is called "Pretty Boy" because of his good looks, has also been hounded by injuries. He also underwent an operation to remove a mass in his left knuckle but is expected to recover in time for the July 5 fight. The two boxers' appearance in the American boxing scene was initially scheduled in the undercard of Manny Pacquiao's fights but was deferred because of a delay in the issuance of their working visas. With the approval of their working visas, the two were set to fight in the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-David Diaz lightweight championship scheduled June 28 but were edged out by lightweights Dennis Laurente and Randy Suico. "That's not really a big problem. The boys will have to make a name by themselves," said Vice Gov. Pinol. Maraon and Gonzales and their trainer, Noli Pinol, have set up camp in the scenic city of Salinas in Monterey County and are training at the Salinas Boxing Gym owned by the city government. Nonito Donaire Sr., father of world flyweight champion Nonito Donaire Jr., is working with the two boxers as training consultant.  |
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