Philippines, 25 Jul 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


PH Boxing in 2024 Much Better Than 2023; Looking Up To More Opportunities in 2025


PhilBoxing.com



Jerusalem (L) and Taduran preserve world titles for the Philippines in 2024.

The Philippines will end the year with two world boxing champions and a handful of top ranking contenders ready to pounce on world title opportunities that may come their way next year.

Philippine boxing hit rock bottom in 2023 with the year ending without a single world champion.

The year 2023 saw our remaining world boxing titlists from the previous year getting defrocked namely erstwhile long reigning IBF super flyweight titlist Jerwin Ancajas and unified WBA-IBF super bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales respectively by Argentine strongman Fernando Martinez and Japanese Monster Naoya Inoue. Melvin Jerusalem won the WBO minimumweight title but got to hold it only for a few months before ceding it to Puerto Rican wunderkind Oscar Collazo.

2023 also saw Filipino world title challengers falling on the waysides in their bids among them former WBC featherweight titlist Mark Magsayo to American Brandon Figueroa, Bantamweights Nonito Donaire to Mexican Santiago Barrios and Vincent Astrolabio to Aussie Jason Moloney, super flyweight Jerwin Ancajas to Martinez in title rematch and light flyweight Regie Suganob to South African Sivenathi Nontsingha. Mostly in eyebrow raising manner.

Producing another world champion did not come easy and immediately this year. We had to endure a series of frustrations with Dave Apolinario falling to Mexican Angel Ayala for the vacant IBF flyweight title and the duo of Ancajas and Astrolabio suffering body shot knockouts to Japanese Takuma Inoue and Junto Nakatani in title fights at bantamweight.

Late sub Jake Amparo also suffered an early round submission in his world title challenge of Ginjiro Shigeoka in the companion main event before Melvin Jerusalem gave Filipinos a cause of celebration by decking his brother, Yudai Shigeoka twice on the way to securing a second tenure as world minimumweight champion this time with WBC via hard fought split decision.

A few months later, former IBF titlist Pedro Taduran made it a double celebration by deposing Ginjiro Shigeoka via brutal technical knockout in the Japanese home turf.

Gifted with not one but two world championships, both at boxing's littlest weight class, still we felt uneasy. This was owing to our long list of first title defense losses especially abroad in the recent past which had also involved both Jerusalem and Taduran.

Luckily, Manny Pacquiao through his MP Promotion saw the advantage of holding Jerusalem's title defense here especially with a tough Mexican Luis Castillo as his mandatory challenger. To cut the story short, Jerusalem broke the jinx of first title defense miseries by beating Castillo via unanimous decision in the main event of Pacquiao's Blow by Blow TV boxing show.

As for Taduran, his initial title defense was supposedly to be held in November in South Korea against his top ranking Chinese challenger. But it did not push through for lack of sponsorship. At least, we kept the title.

So after the long wait and some periods of uneasiness, we have two world titles and two world champions intact as we toast and bid adieu to 2024 and usher in the new boxing year.

What can we look forward to in 2025?

For starters, we can expect juicy title defense or even unification fights for either or both Jerusalem and Taduran with now unified minimumweight champion Oscar Collazo and one or both of the Shigeoka brothers, expected to make their respective bids.

A remote possibility could even be an all Pinoy unification fight between Jerusalem and Taduran if the prospective opponents vacillate with their plans.

This early, Pacquiao has expressed desire to put up a world class boxing extravaganza in September featuring world class Filipino fighters for the 50th anniversary of the 1975 Thrilla in Manila between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. Should any or both of Jerusalem and Taduran still remain world titlists by that time, they are most likely to be among the boxers to be featured. It is therefore necessary to preserve one or both to be among those to represent world class Philippine boxing for such a grand project.

Boxing Hall of Fame bound Pacquiao himself is bidding for a world title crack at welterweight against WBC titlist Mario Barrios or a lucrative high profile bout against Gervonta Tank Davis who once halted Barrios.

Multi division champion Nonito Donaire has recently made another strong bid to be rated among the top five contenders at bantamweight in the WBA ranking so that he could vie for the world championship against new titlist Seiya Tsusumi. He might get his wish seeing how his reputation has preceded him time and again. Hopefully, Nonito is like wine that gets better with age.

Meanwhile, two Filipino super featherweight fighters namely Charly Suarez and Mark Magsayo are in possible position to vie for any of the world titles at 130 lbs.

Governor Luis Chavit Singson has been reportedly interested to support Suarez bid for a world title fight to be held in the country as soon as any of the major boxing bodies approve of and sanction such fight.

At least three Filipinos at light flyweight are rated highly in the world ranking as of November 2024. They include Christian Araneta who is mandatory for the IBF crown now held by a Japanese. Arvin John Paciones is top two contender for the vacant WBA title while Regie Suganob is number one contender at WBO. Then there is the hard punching Jayson Vayson who is rated among top five and could be tapped as world title challenger given the breaks

There are plans for Naoya Inoue to move up to featherweight and leave his myriad belts at super bantamweight. Should that happen, Marlon Tapales and Carl Jammes Martin hopefully should still be in the position to vie for any of the vacancies.

These concededly are mostly wishful musings but we can always hope for the best and the most ideal to happen.

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.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • Press Conference Notes: Puerto Rican Star Xander Zayas Aims for First World Title against Mexican Puncher Jorge Garcia
    , Fri, 25 Jul 2025
  • PNP Chief Nicolas Torre III Fights Davao Acting Mayor Baste Duterte in a Charity Boxing Match; Who Wins? (Long Analysis)
    By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 25 Jul 2025
  • Canadian Cruiserweight Contender Ryan “The Bruiser” Rozicki Back in the gym, returning to ring October 25 in Nova Scotia
    , Fri, 25 Jul 2025
  • CROCKER AND DONOVAN REMATCH FOR IBF WELTERWEIGHT CROWN AT CLEARER TWIST NATIONAL STADIUM AT WINDSOR PARK IN FIRST EVER ALL-IRISH WORLD TITLE FIGHT ON SEPTEMBER 13
    , Thu, 24 Jul 2025
  • Italian next for Magsayo?
    By Joaquin Henson, , Thu, 24 Jul 2025
  • GM Daniel Quizon to defend title in Kamatyas chess rapid tiff
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Thu, 24 Jul 2025
  • QUOTES FROM TODAY’S OFFICIAL CLARESSA SHIELDS VS. LANI DANIELS PRESS CONFERENCE AT LITTLE CAESARS ARENA IN DETROIT
    , Thu, 24 Jul 2025
  • STACKED “NOWHERE TO RUN” UNDERCARD REVEALED! FORMER WORLD CHAMPIONS REGIS “ROUGAROU” PROGRAIS AND JOSEPH “JOJO” DIAZ CLASH IN SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT CO-MAIN EVENT
    , Thu, 24 Jul 2025
  • Golden Boy's Fantasy Springs Card Cleared for Action: All Fighters Make Weight
    , Thu, 24 Jul 2025
  • Bipartisan Bill Introduced in Congress to Revitalize American Boxing and Protect Fighters
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Thu, 24 Jul 2025
  • Xander Zayas vs. Jorge Garcia Fight Week Events to Stream LIVE on Top Rank’s Social Media Channels
    , Thu, 24 Jul 2025
  • WBA Bantamweight World Champion Antonio Vargas Lands in Japan Ahead of Title Defense Against Daigo Higa
    , Thu, 24 Jul 2025
  • Boxing at Tropicana Atlantic City – Tickets On Sale for July 25 Event
    , Thu, 24 Jul 2025
  • Boxing Icon and 8-Time World Champion Thomas Hearns Confirmed for Eighth Annual Box Fan Expo, During Mexican Independence Day Weekend, Saturday September 13, in Las Vegas
    , Thu, 24 Jul 2025
  • THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 23 JULY 2025: Usyk KOs Dubois; Barrios-Pacquiao Ends in Draw; Fundora Stops Tszyu; Rodriguez TKOs Cafu
    By Eric Armit, , Wed, 23 Jul 2025
  • Israel Landicho rules Cavite Rapid chessfest
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Wed, 23 Jul 2025
  • Marcial to focus on pros
    By Joaquin Henson, , Wed, 23 Jul 2025
  • Antonio Vargas Travels Overseas to Defend WBA Bantamweight World Title Against Daigo Higa in Japan
    , Wed, 23 Jul 2025
  • Round 12 with Mauricio Sulaimàn: Great Boxing Weekend All Over the World
    By Mauricio Sulaimán, , Tue, 22 Jul 2025
  • WBC 63rd Annual Convention and Muay Thai Convention in Bangkok, Thailand Update
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Tue, 22 Jul 2025
  • OLD HABITS NEVER DIE
    By Ed de la Vega, DDS, , Tue, 22 Jul 2025
  • Pacquiao Sends US Boxing Scene Buzzing Again
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Tue, 22 Jul 2025
  • Hurting inside
    By Joaquin Henson, , Tue, 22 Jul 2025
  • Shocking Incident at MaxFight 62: Fighter Bites Opponent’s Ear in Live MMA Broadcast, Prompting National Outrage and Scrutiny of Bulgarian MMA Federation
    , Tue, 22 Jul 2025
  • Immanuwel Aleem Takes on Demond NIcholson in DMV Turf War on Saturday. July 26th at The Hall in Live! Casino and Hotel Maryland
    , Mon, 21 Jul 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.