FORMER World Boxing Council flyweight-champion Malcolm “Eagle Eye” Tu?acao is making a bold move to regain lost glamor.
On Saturday, Tu?acao will challenge Thailand’s Kumarnthong Por Pluemkamol for the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation bantamweight belt held by in Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall.
Since jumping to the stable of Japanese Yasuo Matsuoka, Tu?acao had two impressive performances, winning two stoppages in Japan this year. Winning the OPBF title will complete his return as among the Filipino top hopefuls for a world title.
9th-round TKO
Last Feb. 14, Tu?acao didn’t spend Valentines Day with his family. Instead he fougght and scored a ninth-round technical knockout win over Takafuni Himeno. He followed it with a seventh-round TKO victory over Ryoichi Hidaka last July 18.
The OPBF 118-pound division belt changed hands twice this year and Tu?acao hopes will be his this time.
Kumarnthong won the regional title when he beat former-champion Jun Toriumi of Japan last July 16 by majority decision.
Kumarnthong’s last fight was in Thailand where he scored a second-round knockout over compatriot Choktawee Chor Puonruampol on Sept. 14.
Same fighter
Before Kumarnthong won the OPBF 118lb belt, Toriumi won the vacant title by unanimous decision last Feb. 19 over Ringo Jaguar, the same Indonesian fighter Tu?acao knocked out on Sept. 26, 2003 for the vacant WBC International superflyweight title.
Tu?acao has an 18-1-2 win-loss-draw record with 13 wins coming by way of knockout. Kumarnthong tucks a 7-7-1 record with 5 KOs.
