Philippines, 11 Oct 2024
  Home >> News



 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


Bleacher Talk: Arigato Rocky!


PhilBoxing.com





Japan has been rocked by Cebu Boxing!

No, we?re not talking about Donnie Nietes who can proudly claim to ?own? Mexico with all his wins there. Neither are we talking about Boom Boom Bautista who is a crowd favorite in Dubai. Mark Jason Melligen? Make that Vegas for him, and maybe in the future, Jason Pagara will also call Vegas his second base of operations should he do well there. Call it a case of ALA Boxing conquering the world in its own little way, as they now have a boxing ?ambassador? to Japan in the person of Rocky Fuentes.

Getting a new lease on his career, he is now the Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) flyweight champion, making Japan his base for his OPBF title fights in 2010. He has fought three times in Japan already, and adding his other fight on local shores, he?s the busiest fighter of the ALA Boxing Gym for 2010. I?m willing to bet that you didn?t even know that, did you? But that?s Rocky for you. Doing his thing under the radar without much fanfare, but more importantly getting the job done. He won the OPBF championship over Masafumi Okubo via majority decision last March. He then went back to Japan in June to defend his title and defeat Shigetaka Ikehara by TKO in the 11th round in what has been described as one of Japan?s best fights of the year. And as if that was not enough, he went back to Japan again two weeks ago to score another TKO win, this time against Yasuto Aritomi. This was the shortest of his title fights, lasting ?only? eight rounds. At his rate of one fight every three months, I wonder if this means another fight in December? If his contract with the Japanese promoters allow it, maybe he should take a break and go back into action early 2011. But this is just a personal opinion. If he?s on a roll, then let?s keep it going. If Donnie Nietes owns Mexico, then Rocky has owned Japan, at least at the OPBF level. But give him time; he?ll be ready for the Japanese world champs soon. At 24 years old, he?s got a lot of boxing years ahead of him.

The irony of his fights in Japan is that this was his first trip there since 2006 in what looked like a fight arranged to see how things go, more than making it a career move (to go to Japan). He first fought in Japan in 2006, scoring a split decision win over then undefeated Yuki Nasu. But no other foreign fights were arranged for Rocky since then. All his fights between then and 2010 were all on local shores. Previous to this 2006 trip, he had made trips to Thailand and Indonesia with mixed results, winning three and losing one fight in Indonesia, and losing all his three fights in Thailand. With a record of 27-6-2, 17 KO?s, Rocky isn?t as impressive on paper as his more popular ALA Gym boxers. After losing in his first attempt to win the Philippine flyweight championship to Jojo Bardon in 2006 and later to title prospect Richie Mepranum in a non-title fight in 2007, many had more questions than answers as to how far Rocky would go in his career. We must also remember that he still lives with the stigma of having an opponent pass away after one of his fights early in his career.

True to his name, Rocky has had a bit of a ?rocky? roller coaster ride of a career at a fresh age of 24. He?s been fighting as a pro boxer since 2003 when he was presented as a bright prospect for a world championship from the ALA Gym. Right beside him in the gym then were the likes of Z Gorres, Rodel Mayol, Wyndel Janiola, Boom Boom Bautista, Donnie Nietes and the arrival of AJ Banal, Milan Melindo, Michael Domingo, Mark Jason Melligen, Jason Bagara, and James Bacon later. With all of them as brothers under the ALA management, I wasn?t surprised that he didn?t get the juicy and high-profile fights that the others got. Along with this came the popularity and attention from the media and fans. He was somehow always in the background getting the job done in his own quiet way. But being patient does have its own rewards. Rocky has made his statement. Like Nietes, he built his stock the old fashioned way. No U.S., Dubai or Mexico. No Kapamilya or Kapuso to lean on. Just plain hard work in the Philippines, and when the opportunity to fight in Japan finally came, he fought like there was no tomorrow.

At this stage, everything?s looking bright for Rocky. With a newfound confidence and a boxing past already forgotten, Rocky is ready to rock Japan even further. He?ll keep himself busy with OPBF title fights in Japan and possibly one or two here in Cebu. And when the timing is ripe in the future, he?ll be ready for the world.

Arigato Rocky!



Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rico Navarro.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • Press Conference Notes: Artur Beterbiev & Dmitry Bivol Set to Battle for Light Heavyweight Supremacy
    , Fri, 11 Oct 2024
  • Raquinel and Frank Face Off for WBC Strap in Mexico
    By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 11 Oct 2024
  • CES Boxing and Boxlab Promotions Announce Co-Promotional Agreement with Jamaine Ortiz
    , Fri, 11 Oct 2024
  • World Boxing agrees to delegate adjudication on all anti-doping violations to the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS AAD)
    , Fri, 11 Oct 2024
  • Top Rank Presents Undisputed Light Heavyweight Title Showdown: Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol
    , Thu, 10 Oct 2024
  • THE MIGHTY ALEXIS “LEX” ROCHA AND THE UNDEFEATED RAUL “EL CUGAR” CURIEL COLLIDE IN WELTERWEIGHT MAIN EVENT SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, DEC. 14
    , Thu, 10 Oct 2024
  • What Profits JR Casimero Fighting Saul Sanchez?
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Thu, 10 Oct 2024
  • Camp Get Right Boxing Gym continuing Worcester’s rich boxing history
    , Thu, 10 Oct 2024
  • PYCC at DNSC in Panabo
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 10 Oct 2024
  • Geraldo-Ponteras in rematch on Oct. 14
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 10 Oct 2024
  • MANSION SPORTS HANOI OPEN | VAN BOENING EYES FOR HIS FIRST HANOI OPEN TITLE
    , Thu, 10 Oct 2024
  • Reynaldo Gempero Jr. rules Davao Open chess tilt
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Wed, 09 Oct 2024
  • Fresh Productions presents ‘Taínos Vs. Aztecas’ on November 9 in Bayamón: the return of Subriel Matías!
    , Wed, 09 Oct 2024
  • Robert Guerrero III Remains Undefeated with Second-Round Knockout in San Antonio
    , Wed, 09 Oct 2024
  • Training Camp Notes – Undefeated Featherweight Carlos Delon Castro Ready for Puerto Rican Debut
    , Wed, 09 Oct 2024
  • PFF supports Football Starts at Home
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Wed, 09 Oct 2024
  • Catterall Out For Affirmation, Prograis Seeking Redemption
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Wed, 09 Oct 2024
  • Bivol vs Beterbiev: Fight Analysis
    By Ralph Rimpell, , Tue, 08 Oct 2024
  • Kingsley Ibeh vs. Jack May Battle for WBC Latino Silver Heavyweight title
    , Tue, 08 Oct 2024
  • The Past Week in Action 7 October 2024: Alimkhanuly Stops Mikhailovich in Sydney; Ball Halts Rios in Liverpool
    By Eric Armit, , Tue, 08 Oct 2024
  • Joepher "El Gwapito" Montaño Drops, Stops Shiva, Becomes The New UBO Titlist in Highland Show in Thailand
    By Carlos Costa, , Tue, 08 Oct 2024
  • November 8: Troy Isley-Tyler Howard Middleweight Showdown Elevated to Davis-Lemos Co-Feature at Norfolk’s Scope Arena LIVE on ESPN+
    , Tue, 08 Oct 2024
  • FLOYD “KID AUSTIN” SCHOFIELD TO MAKE GRAND RETURN TO THE RING IN HEADLINING EVENT AGAINST RENE “EL BRAVO” TELLEZ GIRÓN
    , Tue, 08 Oct 2024
  • Alessio Bisutti Claims UBO Continental Heavyweight Belt
    By Carlos Costa, , Tue, 08 Oct 2024
  • IBF Bantamweight World Champion Miyo Yoshida to have 4-time World Champion Jorge Linares in her corner
    , Tue, 08 Oct 2024




  •  



     
    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
    © 2024 philboxing.com.