Odoi out to shame Pagara in his hometown
Laryea Gabriel Odoi endured three airplane rides for more than 8,000 miles from his native of Accra, Ghana to Maasin City not to lose but to score a huge upset over world-ranked Albert Pagara in his hometown.
“I will take the belt. This is my dream. I will beat him,” a convinced Odoi said in yesterday’s final press conference at the funtion hall of Ampile Pensione.
Albert and Odoi are fighting for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) Inter-Continental super bantamweight belt in the main event of Pinoy Pride 44 - “Laban sa Leyte” at the Maasin City Gym.
“We took three aircrafts going here. We are not joking around, we are here to take the title away,” echoed Odoi’s trainer Emmanuel Amponsah.
Pagara has never lost a fight in his hometown. He knocked out all of his opponents in Maasin City. “I don’t think he can knock me out. I came here prepared,” said the 28-year-old former West African Boxing Union bantamweight champion.
Odoi has won his last four fights, all in his native of Ghana. The last time Odoi tasted defeat was in 2013, when he lost by unanimous decision to Brit Martin Ward.
“I will do my best to win this
I will take the belt. This is my dream. I will beat him LARYEA GABRIEL ODOI
belt,” said Albert. “I’m a hundred percent ready. I have not seen his fights but I’ll gauge him in the first round.”
Albert has won three in a row since suffering the first defeat of his career, a knockout loss against Cesar Juarez in 2016.
Albert, currently ranked No. 9 in the WBO and No. 7 in the International Boxing Federation (IBF), is 29-1 with 20 knockouts, while Odoi is 20-3-2 with 14 knockouts.
Jeo Santisima (15-2, 13 KOs) gets his first shot at a regional title as he guns for the vacant WBO Oriental super bantamweight belt against Thai Likit Chane (165, 10 KOs), while Albert’s older brother Jason Pagara (40-3-1, 25 KOs) faces Indonesian Wellem Reyk (19-17-4, 5 KOs)
Former world title challengers Arthur Villanueva (31-3, 17 KOs) and Melvin Jerusalem (12-2, 7 KOs) are also featured in the undercard.
Villanueva takes on experienced Renren Tesorio (16-12-3, 4 KOs), while Jerusalem slugs it out with Philip Luis Cuerdo (10-4-1, 4 KOs).
Also in the undercard, Fil-Japanese Go Hosaka makes his pro debut against Holly Quinones (39-1, 1 KO), Joyjoy Formentera (83, 4 KOs) locks horns with Lobert Bayo (7-7), and Jeno Macapobre (3-0, 2 KOs) trades leathers with Carlito Antaran (1-3-1). /