Demecillo faces ex-champ

Cebu-based brawler Kenny Demecillo is a step closer to a world title shot as he takes on former world champion Lee Haskins in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight title eliminator bout next month.

It’s a dream come true for Demecillo, who isn’t one of the most talented fighters at the Omega Boxing Gym but is one of the hardest-working.

“It’s a dream. What I have been through in my career is not easy,” Demecillo said.

The fight is slated in the Philippines after Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions won the purse bid and the rights to promote the event.

The 26-year-old Demecillo is coming off the biggest win of his career, a fifth-round knockout of promising Russian Vyacheslav Mirzaev last March in Anapa, Russia.

Demecillo is ranked No. 5, while Haskins is ranked No. 4. The winner becomes the mandatory challenger of IBF bantamweight champion Emmanuel Rodriguez.

Demecillo gained some much-needed experience as a regular sparring partner for Japanese up-and-comer Takuma Inoue.

“I’m still resting right now because I just came off a three-week sparring with Inoue,” he said.

Though already 36 years old, Haskins is still an elite fighter in the bantamweight division. He won the interim IBF bantamweight belt with a sixth-round technical knockout of Ryosuke Iwasa in 2015.

He was declared the regular champion and defended his belt with a unanimous decision over Ivan Morales the following year. He had another successful title defense in 2016 with a unanimous verdict over Stuart Hall before losing his title to Ryan Burnett by unanimous decision.

“He is quick and is a veteran. I will just put on the pressure and get close to him. I think that’s my only chance of winning,” said Demecillo.

Demecillo is 14-4-2 with eight knockouts, while Haskins is 35-4 with 14 knockouts. /