OPENING ROUND. Look for one Filipino fighter to fight for a world title in March. Will give you updates on that. And speaking of March, look for a regional title-holder from Cebu to see action in Negros to defend his title against a Thai banger. Will also give you updates on that very soon…For 2007, look for Ricky Sismundo and Glen Masicampo to shine among those who are not yet considered prospects…For fans who plan to watch the Z Gorres-Fernando Montiel fight, buy your tickets at the soonest. They won’t have much of those on fight day…Nice to know Jimrex Jaca is getting another break at a title. Good guys deserve their second chances, as they say… Dennis Laurente is set to defend his PABA lightweight title on February 18 in Manila.
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SO WHO WILL TRAIN OSCAR DE LA HOYA?
In just a matter of days (or maybe hours), Golden Boy Promotions will soon announce who will get the plum job to train Oscar De la Hoya for his May 5 super-fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
I emailed GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer the other day, asking if it would be possible for them to give the information to us first, instead of the American media. Of course that was done tongue-in-cheek. Schaefer responded by saying he will let us know very soon.
Oscar’s trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr, dad of his next foe, is definitely out of the running for demanding too much money to the tune of $2 Million just to train the Golden Boy. Schaefer counter-offered with a $500,000 cash up front, and another $500,000 bonus if Oscar wins the fight. But Mayweather Sr said it’s going to be $2M or nothing. So he gets nothing. Moral: Learn the art of the deal, especially when you’re talking to a brainy guy like the former Swiss banker Schaefer.
SGG ADDS A MEDIA AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT.
A world class organization has just become even more cutting-edge.
SGG Sports Promotions of Sammy ‘Don King’ Gello-ani has just added the SGG Media Affairs Department in an effort to professionalize even more its handling of press releases and media accreditations for the February 24 ‘Moment of Truth’ card at the Cebu City Sports Complex.
“Please be informed that all media queries in regards to the Feb 24 – WBO World Championship promotion will be coursed through our media liaison, ZT Literatus. He will also handle all our press releases including accreditation for the press for the day of the fight,” said a terse email sent to the media today by the SGG/ALA group.
The move is apparently patterned after the manner by which major promoters in the US handle their boxing affairs. For instance, Oscar De la Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions makes use of the services of The Bedford Agency as well as the BZA Credentials while Bob Arum’s Top Rank has the SFE Public Relations to handle media affairs.
ELORDE GRANDSON TO TURN PRO IN GORRES-MONTIEL CARD
A grandson of the late Gabriel ‘Flash’ Elorde is poised to trace the footsteps of his illustrious old man by turning pro in Cebu, where the Hall of Famer rose from a shoe-shine boy to become one of the greatest fighters of all times.
Juan Martin V. Elorde, the son of 1979 SEA Games gold medallist Johnny Elorde and Liza, will see action in his debut fight on February 24 in a four-round bout underneath the Z Gorres-Fernando Montiel WBO superfly world championship.
“There is a plan to include Elorde in the card. It’s a big possibility,” informed promoter Sammy Gello-ani during a special press conference early this week to announce the opponent of Rey ‘Boom Boom’ Bautista on the same card.
Nicknamed ‘Bai’ just like his grandfather, the 22-year-old Elorde is also a southpaw like The Flash and has graduated from the De la Salle-St. Benilde with a degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management (HRIM).
Before turning pro, the 5’7″ Juan Martin was also an accomplished amateur boxer. He had competed and won gold medal at the 2004 National Open in Iriga City and took silver in last year’s edition in Lanao del Norte.
According to his mother Liza, competition in the amateur level has been tough, and his son thought that he can be more effective as a professional than an amateur boxer.
“Since age 17, he already had the passion in boxing,” Liza stated. “But we told him to finish his college first, then he can do whatever he want.”
Liza also added that Bai had come to realize that his style of fighting does not fit the amateur.
The February 24 playdate was crucial for the young Elorde to redeem a family honor, as on that same date in 1952 in Davao, Flash Elorde had lost an 8-round fight to Little Dundee in what turned out to be his second loss as a young fighter.
SO WHO WILL WIN BARRERA-MARQUEZ?
This will be a tough fight to call, but I’m leaning towards a Juan Manuel Marquez win. I’ve seen both fighters fight in person and on television, and I’m really scared at those Marquez shots. They’re so precise you’d be forced to think they come from God. Good thing Pacquiao knocked him down thrice early, if not, Marquez could have clobbered him silly. And good thing Jimrex Jaca was in top shape, but then, he confided after their fight that Marquez is like no one he had ever faced.
PACQUIAO CANCELS US TRIP.
As reported by Boxingconfidential.com, Manny Pacquiao has just shelved his planned trip to the US to watch today’s Jorge Arce fight. The plan, according to promoter Bob Arum, was for Pacquiao to fly the other night, attend the Anaheim, California fight (incidentally, Filipino Mercito Gesta is also on the card). A source close to Pacquiao said the boxing hero was feeling a little bit under the weather after spending the whole night playing pool.
Another insider close to Pacquiao, boxing promoter Rex ‘Wakee’ Salud, had told Manila mediamen that he doesn’t think Wynn Macau would be ready for an April fight between Pacquiao and In jin Chi. First, the venue has yet to be built, and secondly, according to Salud, Pacquiao is not really that popular in that part of China.
GESTA IN U.S. DEBUT FIGHT TODAY
Undefeated Filipino featherweight Mercito ‘Guerrero’ Gesta makes his initial foray into American boxing when he clashes with Chicago-based Mexican Barbaro Zepeda today at the Honda Center in a Top Rank-promoted card in Anaheim, California, USA.
The Gesta-Zepeda showdown is one of the undercard bouts of today’s Jorge Arce-Julio David Ler bout which will be aired in the US by HBO ‘Boxing After Dark.’
The 19-year-old Gesta (10-0-1, 3 KO’s) is managed by American Terry Carter, and had been in the United States since middle of November as he was originally slated to see action underneath the Manny Pacquiao-Erik Morales ‘Grand Finale.’
He took the whole of last year off following a medical problem which was discovered when he was about to fight in South Africa, and apparently was given the green light by US authorities to resume his career.
SOLLANO-AGRABIO FOR PHILIPPINE 130-LB CROWN!
Fistic action shifts to the southern part of Cebu as the town of Dalaguete hosts the 12-round showdown for the vacant RP super-featherweight title between RWS Stable’s JR Sollano and Manila-based Dodie Boy Agrabio on February 3 at the town’s sports complex.
The match-up pits the taller Sollano against the rugges Agrabio for the title vacated by Jimrex ‘The Executioner’ Jaca.
In the chief support, ex-PABA light flyweight champ Marvin Tampus of RWS Stable takes on veteran journeyman War Bartiquel in a 10-round scrap.
Also set to see action is former national amateur team member Roel Laguna who will go up against the durable Melvin Ayudtud in the other 10-round bout.
The rest of the card pits Jimmy Siscon versus Abner Llanasa; Raymund Arguedo against Darell Pucdol; Virgilio Silvano versus Gil Castromayor; and Christopher Antenero versus Rolando Irag.
GAB-7 chief Celso Miranda says the event is financed by the local government of Dalaguete headed by Mayor Allan Cesante, while Rex ‘Wakee’ Salud is the registered promoter.
