BATTLE-READY

Astrolabio neck-deep in training for WBC title fight

Over at the MP Boxing Gym in Davao City, Vincent Astrolabio hardly skips a beat in training, showing up every single day to work on his strength and conditioning and ramp up his game in sparring thrice weekly.

Though a date has yet to be confirmed, the next time Astrolabio returns to the ring, it is going to be for the World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight crown.

Astrolabio is the mandatory challenger to newly-crowned champion Junto Nakatani, who had won the WBC 118-lb strap by knocking out the usually durable Alejandro Santiago of Mexico last February in Tokyo.

While contracts have yet to be signed, Astrolabio is training as if a date and a venue have been confirmed.

“Vincent’s always in the gym training. He spars every Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and does conditioning work also on the same days,” reported Astrolabio’s manager-trainer Nonoy Neri told DAILY TRIBUNE on Tuesday.

Neri and Astrolabio are aware of what Nakatani brings to the ring.

The southpaw Nakatani, 25, is a three-division world champion and unbeaten with a 27-0 mark with 20 knockouts.

“If you stay in front of him waiting for a counter, you won’t have a chance,” Neri said.

“He’s got the height, the reach so you have to press the attack and prevent him from setting up. Your only chance is to get inside,” he added.

A right-hander, Astrolabio, 27, has a 19-4 slate with 14 knockouts.

Shorter by two and a half inches at 5-5, Astrolabio earned the coveted status of being the mandatory challenger when he stopped Thailand’s Nawaphon Kaikanha in Bangkok in August last year.

In the meantime, in the absence yet of a contract, Astrolabio and Neri are going to meet daily to perfect their gameplan for Nakatani knowing that a formal announcement of their fight is forthcoming.

Currently, the Philippines only has one world champion in Melvin Jerusalem, who recently bagged the WBC minimumweight title after beating Yudai Shigeoka in Nagoya.

If not in June, Astrolabio gets to lock horns with Nakatani in July based on the timeline being shared by the two opposing camps.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF MP BOXING GYM VINCENT Astrolabio (right) and chief trainer Nonoy Neri are hardly skipping a beat in training in anticipation of a world title shot in Japan in June or July.