Cebuano knockout artist Randy Suico gets his first shot at big time when he challenges Mexican World Boxing Association lightweight champion Juan Diaz on July 15 at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
With the development, Suico has been pulled out of the July 2 “Mano-A-Mano: Pilipinas Contra Mexico” card at the Araneta Coliseum, which is top billed by Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao’s non-title fight against Oscar Larios.
Suico, who was supposed to fight Sergio Ortiz in the Araneta card, has been replaced by ALA Boy Czar Amonsot of Tagbilaran City.
No deal
The No.12-ranked Suico, 24-2 with 21 KOs, will also be a replacement fighter in the Las Vegas card. He will take the place of No.15-ranked Russian Almazvek Raimlulov, who was dumped after Diaz’s promoter The Main Events, Bob Arum and Top Rank, the promoter of Raimlulov, failed to agree on a deal.
A former WBC Youth lightweight champion, Diaz, nicknamed the “Baby Bull” who is undefeated in 29 fights including 14 knockouts, defended his title when he scored a unanimous decision win over the previously undefeated Puerto Rican Jose Miguel Cotto last April 8 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. That was his third title defense since winning it over Lakva Sim in July 2004.
Meanwhile, Amonsot is ready to rumble with Ortiz, who carries a 17-9 card with seven KOs.
Countrymen watching
“Amonsot is ready as ever. He has trained hard for his coming title defense in Tagbilaran on July 22 but with this latest development I believe he has more motivation because the country will be watching this fight closely,” said ALA Boys manager Antonio Lopez Aldeguer.
Amonsot (16-1-1, 10KOs) scored a 10-round unanimous decision win over Jose “El Gallo” Reyes last May 12 at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
He bounced back from a first-round knockdown to the succeeding rounds.
“I think Amonsot has a good chance of winning (against Ortiz) because his previous opponent has a better record than this Mexican,” said Aldeguer.
The fate of Amonsot’s WBO Asia-Pacific junior lightweight title defense in Tagbilaran City will depend on the outcome of his fight against Ortiz.
