Under the scorching Thursday afternoon heat, Balweg Bangoyan walked his way inside the Tiger City Boxing Gym, a sweat shop located a few hundred meters away from one of Mandaluyong?s busiest well-paved roads.
The gym was almost deserted by the time Bangoyan, carrying his duffel bag, showed up for his daily routine, looking more like a gym rat rather than somebody who is scheduled to figure in the biggest fight of his young life in three week?s time.
Taking the lead was Bangoyan?s trainer, Frederick Wangkay, who would later engage his fighter for 40 straight minutes of punch mitts session, just what Freddie Roach does with his favorite pupil Manny Pacquiao at the Wild Card.
Moments later, Bangoyan was putting on his socks, then his locally-manufactured cross-trainers and sleeveless shirt before standing in front of the mirror, his hands clasped together, his head bowed and eyes shut.
Less than a minute later, Bangoyan did calisthenics and then kicked off the two-hour and thirty-minute training session with the punishing, no-rest period punch mitt session.
Can?t blame Bangoyan and his trainer for doing so.
On April 30, Bangoyan faces the stiffest challenge of his young professional career when he shoots for the World Boxing Council (WBC) super-bantamweight crown at the Nihon Budokan (Martial Arts Hall) in Tokyo.
Toshiaki Nishioka is the man the 23-year-old Bangoyan plans to dethrone and he and his team admit they are up against formidable odds.
Ranked tenth by the WBC, Bangoyan has studied Nishioka on video and is confident he has what it takes to return home with the coveted crown.
?Nishioka is strong but I am not afraid of him,? said Bangoyan, whose real name is Balweg Miguel.
