FRESNO, Calif. — The spotlight may be on the two Filipinos in the main event, but a third Filipino is hoping to make a name for himself on the undercard Saturday night in Fresno.
John Vincent Moralde of Davao City, Philippines will face Minnesota-based Ugandan Ismail Muwendo on the preliminary card of the IBF super flyweight title fight between Jerwin Ancajas and Jonas Sultan at the Save Mart Center.
Moralde (19-1, 10 knockouts) is familiar with the incumbent champion in the main event, having been part of the same Davao region amateur team at the 2008 Palarong Pambansa (National Youth Games) in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. Moralde, his brother Englebert, Ancajas, and Ancajas’ Survival Camp teammate Mark Anthony Barriga lived together for two weeks in April, and all returned to their home province with gold medals.
“It was a great time. It was my first Palarong Pambansa and we all won gold,” said Moralde.
He had approximately 300 amateur fights, booked often to compete by his mother who had run the amateur system in Davao City, and was a three-time national gold medalist. He said he fought Barriga four times beginning when he was nine years old, losing on points each time in Barriga’s hometown of Panabo City.
Moralde isn’t surprised to see Ancajas or Barriga achieve the success they have so far in the pros.
“Before (Ancajas) was a decent puncher but he’s developed his power punch, together with his skills,” said Moralde. “(Barriga) is not just a good fighter, he’s a great fighter. In all of the tournaments he’s usually the Best Boxer.”
Moralde is picking Ancajas to defeat his compatriot Sultan on points, figuring that Ancajas’ skills will outperform Sultan’s will.
Moralde’s promising pro career had been plagued by flat performances and professional setbacks. In his first fight abroad in 2015, his opponent Brayd Smith died two days after their fight in Australia. He struggled against Jimmy Aducal in 2016, being dropped and nearly stopped after fading in the late rounds.
In his last fight this past December, the 24-year-old was stopped in seven rounds by Toka Kahn Clary in his United States debut.
Moralde says he struggled to make the featherweight limit for that fight, hitting a plateau at 130 pounds and engaging in a draining two week regimen of intense cardio workouts and eating just two hard boiled eggs a day and drinking virtually no water to make weight. He also didn’t spar much with southpaws and says he felt drained.
This time, fighting at a 132-pound plus a pound catchweight, he was able to eat up until the weigh-in, enjoying some beef soup the night before. He checked in at 132 pounds on Friday afternoon’s weigh-in while Muwendo (19-0, 12 KOs) was slightly higher at 132.6 pounds.
Muwendo, 29, may be the undefeated fighter, but Moralde feels good about his chances to win.
“He’s undefeated, but as we were watching all of his fights on YouTube, I’m confident with my trainer and my team that we studied him really well. We have a game plan for him and I’m confident,” said Moralde.
Moralde is trained by Osmiri “Moro” Fernandez but did most of his work for this fight in the Philippines before finishing up with two weeks at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles with trainer Rodel Mayol.
Moralde’s fight with Muwendo will be shown on the ESPN+ app in the U.S., and on the ESPN5.com livestream in the Philippines.
Moralde’s promoter Jim Claude Manangquil of Sanman Promotions, who actually promoted Ancajas’ second pro fight against Sherwin McDo Lungay in September of 2009 in Polomolok, Philippines, believes that he’s got the “superior fighter” over the strong but crude Muwendo, but says it’s up to Moralde to finally fulfill the promise he had once shown.
“I think this is the perfect time and the perfect place to show himself not only to Filipino fans but to the world. It’s a big opportunity before the two main bouts. A lot of people will be there and Filipinos will be watching,” said Manangquil.
“I’d be very shocked if he doesn’t do well.”
