FORMER Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) super bantamweight king Roli Gasca and unbeaten prospect Mark Bernaldez get confidence-boosting fights in the undercard of Pinoy Pride XXII ? ?The Revenge? on Oct. 26 at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu City.
The resurgent Gasca takes on Indonesian Lande Olin, while Bernaldez faces off with Thai Khunkhiri Wor Wisaruth. Both bouts are scheduled for 10 rounds.
?Yes (it will be a confidence booster), definitely for both of them. These fights will dictate their respective careers,? said ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer, who has huge plans for both young pugs. ?It will mean a lot to Gasca and Bernaldez, for their careers. Gasca has to get his credibility back and for Bernaldez is to prove that he has what it takes to headline an idol card and be the next big name in the future.?
Gasca earned a name for himself in the international boxing scene in 2010 after a huge upset current World Boxing Association (WBA) No. 3 bantamweight Tabtimdaeng Na Rachawat, who he stopped in sixth round in Thailand. The 24-year-old Cebuano won his next three fights and captured the OPBF super bantamweight title before losing it in his next fight to Yukinori Oguni. From then on Gasca couldn?t find his rhythm and went 3-2-1, losing in big fights.
Bernaldez, on the other hand, has slowly been gaining prominence as one of the most promising young boxers in the ALA Gym. The 21-year-old easily stopped his last two foes, Indonesians Arief Blader and Marangin Marbun. He demolished Blader in the second round, while tough veteran Marbun in the first.
Gasca is 20-4-1 with five knockouts, while Olin, who is off a year layoff, is 11-4 with seven knockouts. Bernaldez is 11-0 with seven knockouts, while Wor Wisaruth is 10- 5-1 with five knockouts.
The main event features undefeated Genesis Servania fighting his stiffest test in former interim WBA super flyweight titlist Rafael Concepcion for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Inter-Continental super bantamweight crown.
Unbeaten Arthur Villanueva, in the meantime, trades leathers with one-time world title challenger Jose Cabrera for the WBO International super flyweight strap in the co-main event.
