THE long-planned World Cup of Boxing is still not etched in stone. Organizers of the much-ballyhooed event, however, have all the bricks and blocks to stack and create another interesting episode in boxing.
International promoter Sammy Gello-ani admits a lot of major factors are to be considered before people could even start talking about fighters who deserve a slot in the two-nation competition.
Gello-ani, trusted lieutenant of Cebu boxing benefactor Tony Aldeguer, and Golden Boy Promotions (GBP), owned by Oscar de la Hoya, are currently talking about pitting world-ranked Filipino fighters against at least three current Mexican world champions in one card tentatively set in the Philippines.
“The date is an issue. We need to get an ideal date from HBO, which usually fill [its] calendar at the start of every year,” said Gello-ani.
Gello-ani said whatever date they get from HBO should be ideal for their group to build up on and possibly sell it to potential sponsors and to the television channel in charge of coverage.
“Middle of August,” according to Gello-ani, “would be perfect because there won’t be a promotional clash with the September 16 title defense schedule of reigning World Boxing Council super-featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez.”
Marquez fights under the GBP banner and in all likelihood, de la Hoya and his executives will personally exert full effort to promote the Marquez bout.
“We will be needing the support of GBP for this project, so we have to make sure our schedule won’t clash with the Marquez title bout,” said Gello-ani.
Gello-ani disclosed that de la Hoya is bent at coming to the Philippines and help promote the unique event which started two years ago in Arizona.
“Television is another key factor. We need to know what kind of involvement local TV plans to do. If they just buy the whole promotion and take care of all the expenses, it will be advantageous to us,” said Gello-ani. “All we have to do is focus on the promotion itself and leave all the technicalities of the coverage to the TV group.”
Gello-ani said it will cost a least $1.2 million to hold the event.
World Cup history
THE first World Cup was staged in October 2005 at the Desert Diamond Casino in Tucson, Arizona, in a six-fight card between Mexico and Thailand that also had four world titles at stake.
The Mexicans took home the $500,000 diamond-crusted trophy after winning five of the six bouts. World Boxing Organization (WBO) champions Daniel Ponce de Leon (super-bantamweight), Jhonny Gonzalez (bantamweight), Fernando Montiel (super-flyweight) and Hugo Cazares (light-flyweight) led the charge for the Mexicans.
For the upcoming Mexico vs. Philippines clash, Gello-ani said Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista is a cinch to face de Leon as the Boholano slugger recently won a 12-round title-eliminator bout over Sergio Manuel Medina of Argentina.
The Ponce de Leon-Bautista clash will likely be the main event of the gigantic card.
Former world super flyweight ruler Gerry Pe?alosa is raring to face Gonzalez while one-time world title challenger Z Gorres is aching to exact revenge in a rematch with Montiel.
Veteran Bert Batawang, a former World Boxing Association (WBA) Pan-African light flyweight champion, is being groomed against Cazares.
Other Filipino fighters on Gello-ani’s list are Jimrex Jaca, Aj Bazooka Banal, Diosdado Gabi and WBO regional champion Cesar Amonsot.
