Filipino slugger Ranee Ganoy is wrapping up his sparring with IBF Pan Pacific junior-middleweight champ Ryan Waters as he prepares to face Thailand terror Somchai Nakbalee at the Kedron Wavell Services Club in Brisbane on Friday. Nakbalee beat Ganoy in the Thai’s first pro fight three years ago and is coming off a big win over former Commonwealth junior-welterweight champ Fatai Onikeke in Melbourne. Ganoy, tipped by the IBF’s Australian representative Ray Wheatley as a future world champ, also holds a win over Onikeke and has won nine of his last 10 fights, his only defeat coming in a war with WBO interim lightweight king Michael Katsidis. The heavy-fisted Ganoy is 23-10-2 (19 KOs) and boasts stoppage wins over the cream of Australia’s lightweights and light-welters. Nakbalee is 10-3-1 (3 KOs) and determined to prove his win over Ganoy was no fluke. Ryan Waters has been sparing with Ganoy as he prepares to face New Zealand’s Lee Oti at Cronulla Leagues Club in Sydney, also on Friday. On the same card heavyweight Michael Kirby, who holds a win over giant Les Mason, meets NSW heavyweight champ Pat Kennedy. Waters, who is also promoting the card in Sydney, said: “Lee Oti is a top fighter. “The first time he fought Daniel Geale he dropped him and went 12 rounds. “The undercard should be great. Michael Kirby’s an up-and-comer while Kennedy will have to lift his game from his last fight when he won a close one against Brett Smith. “It is a real test for both of them and maybe the winner can fight Solomon Haumono.”
