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MAGBANUA MOVES UP TO SUPER BANTAM, EYES JUANMA LOPEZ
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 06 Aug 2009
Kidapawan City - Undefeated Rolando "Smooth Operator" Magbanua, the reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) Interim Bantamweight champion moves up to the 122-lb. division with a 10-round bout against former Philippine bantamweight champion Eric Barcelona in Magpet, North Cotabato on Sunday, Aug. 9.
Magbanua, 23, (17 wins, 12 KOs) hopes to prevail over the veteran former national champion from Bukidnon to make his mark in the super bantamweight division and aim for a possible crack at the WBO 122-lb. title now being held by Puerto Rico's Juan Manuel Lopez.
The righthanded fighter from the frontier town of Pigcawayan, North Cotabato who was a member of the Philippine amateur boxing team won the WBO Interim bantamweight title in February of this year with a 6th round knockout of Mexico Jose Cotta in Cebu City.
He has defended the title once over a Thai challenger and scored two more knockout victories after that.
"He feels more comfortable in the superbantamweight division where he does not need to shed off a lot of weight before the fight," said his trainer, Noli Pinol of the Braveheart Boxing Club of North Cotabato which is owned by Vice Gov. Manny Pinol and his brothers.
Noli said he plans to get at least two or three more fights in this division and explore the possibility of convincing the handlers of WBO champion Juanma Lopez to give the Mindanao-born fighter a crack at the title.
"That is a dream fight for us," said Vice Gov. Pinol who says that while it could be a very difficult fight for Magbanua, he says it is a fight that could earn the little known boxer the recognition that he deserves.
Also appearing in Sunday's boxing card are undefeated flyweight Jermie Jabel, undefeated featherweight Reynaldo Belandres and other upcoming boxers from North Cotabato.
The fights will be shown on ABS CBN Studio 23 on a delayed basis.
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