Canoy seeks road to redemption

Coming off a nearly seven-month layoff after a tough loss, Jason Canoy is eager to get back on track and he will get his chance when he takes on Renerio Arizala on Who's Next? 5 pro boxing series this Friday night at the Mandaue City Sports and Cultural Center.

Canoy, who lost via split decision to Mzuvukile Magwaca for the vacant World Boxing Federation bantamweight belt last March 31, said he wants to fight abroad again and he sees Arizala as his ticket.

"I want to fight abroad again because the purse in foreign fights is big compared here," said Canoy, who has already fought in Japan, Ukraine, Russia and in Africa.

A veteran of 35 fights with a 26-7-2 record, Canoy said he isn't taking Arizala lightly despite his unimpressive 13-7-2 record. In contrast, Canoy took Magwaca to 12 rounds before losing by a controversial split verdict.

"That's boxing, there are really hometown decisions," said Canoy.

After a promising start to his career, winning 11 of his first 12 fights, Arizala has struggled lately and lost five of his last seven bouts.

"We have the same number of losses and in boxing, we can't really be sure who will win but I will try my best," said Canoy. "I hope the fans will enjoy the fight and I pray that both of us will be ok."

"I'm really excited for this fight. I think this is going to be a good one because this will be my chance to show the fans the new things I have learned. We have a new team right now and we've tried some new training methods."

Aside from the new training regimen, Canoy's confidence has been boosted after a three-week sparring session with Naoya Inoue, who is the reigning WBO super flyweight champion.

"(Naoya) is very quick and very strong and has power in both hands," said Canoy. "Every punch was painful so I really learned a lot."

Canoy was one of three sparring partners for Inoue, who beat Antonio Nievas in his latest title defense last September 9.