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Philippines, 31 Jan 2026 |
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A Medley of Pinoy World Title Challengers By Teodoro Medina Reynoso PhilBoxing.com Tue, 09 Apr 2024  Dave Apolinario (L) and Christian Araneta (R) lead Filipino fighters fighting for world titles. Just as when most were about to give up on the future of Philippine boxing with our boxers ending up with an "O" by yearend 2023, surprisingly emerged a medley of Pinoy world title challengers this first half of 2024. This group was bannered by the duo of Melvin Jerusalem and ArAr Andales who were selected to fight the prodigious Shigeoka brothers for their world minimumweight titles this March 31, 2024 in Nagoya, Japan. Only Jerusalem was able to push through with his fight, defeating Yudai Shigeoka by split decision despite scoring two knockdowns and turning Yudai's face into one resembling that attacked by droves of bees on the way to wresting his WBC 105 lbs crown. ArAr pulled out a few days before his challenge of Ginjiro Shigeoka for his IBF title due to alleged training injury. He was surprisingly replaced by Jake Amparo who was soundly defeated by former WBO titlist Pedro Taduran in their supposed IBF title eliminator in his last fight. Given the short notice as substitute challenger, Amparo did not last, losing by 2nd round knockout on account of liver shot. But perhaps we can draw consolation that Taduran remains the mandatory challenger to Ginjiro. Unless the IBF or Ginjiro has other plan like a unification with Jerusalem. On the same week, it was announced that undefeated Dave Apolinario will be fighting for the IBF flyweight title vacated by Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez. His opponent will be Mexican Angel Ayala Lardizabal, also undefeated. The IBF has given a deadline for the two sides to reach an agreement otherwise it will conduct a purse bidding. Meanwhile, Christian Araneta has emerged as mandatory challenger for South African Sivenathi Notsingha who has regained his IBF light flyweight crown by knockout in Mexico. However, it seems Araneta has to wait as Notsingha is entertaining the thought of fighting Puerto Rican WBO champion Jose "La Bomba" Gonzalez in a unification. Nonito Donaire who is handling Araneta, though is not giving up the fight to advance the cause of Araneta. Two Filipinos are likewise still viable to challenge for the world titles at bantamweight namely, Reymart Gaballo and Vincent Astrolabio despite previous losses in their earlier title tries. Gaballo is top ranking challenger for the WBC crown held by Junto Nakatani of Japan. Cashiered WBO bantamweight titlist Johnriel Casimero is in line to challenge Naoya Inoue for his undisputed world super bantamweight crown. But his place in the queue behind Luis Nery and Morudjon Akbmadaliev is being threatened to be pushed back farther by Australia's Sam Goodman who seems to be getting Naoya's attention with the offer of a big fight Down Under. Former WBC featherweight titlist Mark Magsayo and Olhmpian Charly Suarez are also highly rated in the super featherweight division where two world titles are vacant. Suarez however is single minded in his chase of a title fight with current IBF champion Joe Cordina of Wales who beat him in the 2016 Olympics. The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.  |
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