Philippines, 16 Sep 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


Three for the road


PhilBoxing.com



L-R: Astrolabio, Taduran and Apolinario.

WBC minimumweight champion Melvin Jerusalem is the only Filipino reigning world boxing titlist at the moment but three countrymen are out to join him in the firmament with Vincent Astrolabio gunning for the WBC bantamweight throne in Tokyo on July 20, Pedro Taduran seeking to regain the IBF minimumweight crown in Shiga, east of Kyoto, on July 28 and Dave Apolinario hoping to snatch the vacant IBF flyweight strap in Mexico City on Aug. 9.

So far, the report card on Filipino boxers in world title fights this year shows one win and two losses with Jerusalem the only survivor, bagging the WBC 105-pound belt via a split 12-round decision over Yudai Shigeoka in Tokyo last March. The losers were Jerwin Ancajas who bowed to Takuma Inoue on a ninth round stoppage for the WBA bantamweight throne in Tokyo last February and Jake Amparo who was halted in two rounds by IBF minimumweight ruler Ginjiro Shigeoka in Tokyo last March.

Astrolabio, 27, has a puncher’s chance against defending WBC bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani but it won’t be easy bringing down the unbeaten Japanese who totes a 27-0 record, including 20 KOs. Nakatani, 26, has knocked out every Filipino he has faced----Joenil Borres, Joel Taduran, Dexter Alimento, Philip Cuerdo, Milan Melindo and Giemel Magramo. Astrolabio, the No. 1 contender, is coming off an 11th round disposal of Nawaphon Sor Rungvisai in Bangkok last August. Astrolabio’s biggest wins were a decision over Cuba’s Guillermo Rigondeaux in Dubai and a sixth round stoppage of Russia’s Nikolai Potapov in Las Vegas. His record is 19-4, with 14 KOs.

Taduran, 27, is up against Shigeoka in a battle of southpaws. Shigeoka, 24, has an 11-0 record, with nine KOs while Taduran checks in with a 16-4-1 slate, including 12 KOs. Taduran lost the IBF title to countryman Rene Mark Cuarto in his second defense in 2021 and has waited patiently for a chance to get back the strap. He outpointed Amparo in a 12-rounder last December to reestablish himself as the No. 1 contender.

Apolinario, 25, will go for broke against Angel Ayala, 24, in what is expected to be an all-out war. Apolinario has a 20-0 record with 14 KOs while Ayala is 17-0 with seven KOs. Zanfer Promotions of Mexico put in a bid of $250,500 to land the hosting rights and will pay Apolinario a purse of $125,250.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • Kingsley “The Black Lion” Ibeh To headline historic “Legacy Nights” Inaugural Pro Boxing event in El Salvador
    , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • Smarts over power
    By Joaquin Henson, , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • HALL OF FAME FLIES FLAGS AT HALF-STAFF FOR TWO-DIVISION CHAMPION RICKY HATTON
    , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • Kazakhstan tops the medal table at the inaugural World Boxing Championships 2025 thanks to victory in the final bout of the competition
    , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • THRILLA IN MANILA GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 13: JOE FRAZIER’S HUMBLE BEGINNINGS AS AN AMATEUR FIGHTER
    By Maloney L. Samaco, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • A New King, A New Challenger: Turki Alalshikh Proposes Crawford-Benavidez While Canelo Alvarez Faces Defeat with Humility
    By Dong Secuya, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Highly Questionable Title Eliminator
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Yoseline Perez Earns Silver Medal at Inaugural World Boxing Championships
    , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • 21-year-old Filipino wins at Germany rapid chess tournament
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Nagoya Nightmare: Naoya Inoue Notches One-Sided Decision over Murodjon Akhmadaliev
    , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Inoue’s Philippine Connection: Which Pinoy Super Bantamweight Could Challenge “The Monster?”
    By Carlos Costa, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Yoseline Perez Advances to the Finals at the World Boxing Championships Perez Set to Face Chinese Taipei’s Hsiao-Wen Huang for 54-Kilogram World Title
    , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Canelo Gets Outboxed, Loses Undisputed Title to Crawford
    By Carlos Costa, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • A Masterpiece of Boxing: Terence Crawford Dethrones Canelo Alvarez in Historic Showdown
    By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • LEWIS CROCKER IS CROWNED THE NEW IBF WORLD WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION
    , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • Battle of Undefeated: Callum Walsh Vanquishes Fernando Vargas Jr.
    By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • Undercard Inferno: Mbilli and Martinez Deliver a Super Middleweight War Ending in a Thrilling Draw
    By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • Crawford to defy odds?
    By Joaquin Henson, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • Clash of Titans: The Final Predictions for Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford
    By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • Weigh-In Results: Naoya Inoue vs. Murodjon Akhmadaliev
    , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • Inoue and Akhmadaliev Make Weight for Sunday's Battle, Watch it LIVE on Facebook!
    By Carlos Costa, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • IIEE North Cotabato and Metro Central are the Golden Champion on 3x3 Basketball and 3x3 Chess
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • Sydney Sy Tancontian is Female Awardee of Sports Hero of the Year
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Sat, 13 Sep 2025
  • Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford: Size Matters
    By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 13 Sep 2025
  • BOOTS TALKS SPARRING WITH CANELO IN ‘DAY IN THE LIFE’
    , Sat, 13 Sep 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.