PLANIA FIRST FILIPINO TO PLUNGE INTO SPORTS DURING PANDEMIC
MIKE “MAGIC” PLANIA would earn the distinction as the first Filipino to engage in an official sports event amid the Covid-19 pandemic when he takes on Chicago’s No. 1-ranked Joshua Greer Jr. in a nontitle, closed-door card at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 16.
Plania, 23, and Greer collide in the bout that offers a catchweight of 120 pounds. They will cofeature the Giovanni Santillan against Antonio Demarco mainer organized by Top Rank.
A native of General Santos City, the righthanded Plania boasts a 23-win record with 12 knockouts against only one defeat.
Plania flaunts an eight-bout winning streak with his last victory coming off a unanimous decision over Giovanni Gutierrez last December in Miami.
“We got the call 10 days ago, but we are confident about the chances of Mike. Greer is a good boxer but I think Mike is better,”said JC Manangquil, Plania’s manager who heads Sanman Promotions.
Greer, ranked No. 1 bantamweight by the World Boxing Organization, stakes his 22-win (12-knockout) record against the Filipino.
Manangquil said the stakes are beyond any title as Plania is given the opportunity to provide relief to Filipino sports fans turned weary and rusty after more than two months of lockdown.
“This is history for the Philippines. We hope that we could give hope and happiness to the Filipinos,” he said. Plania will have Cuban Moro Fernandez in his corner.
Bob Arum told the Associated Press two weeks ago that he has planned to stage a card of five fights first on June 9 at the MGM Grand, the first of a series of fights over the next two months at the Las Vegas hotel.
A second fight card will be held two nights later, with ESPN televising both cards, kicking off twice weekly shows at the hotel in June and July.
No fans will be allowed, and Arum said fighters and everyone else will be tested at least twice during fight week for the new coronavirus.
The boxing cards, as well as the UFC fights which were held on Saturday, are pending the reopening of the MGM and other Las Vegas hotels, something that is widely expected to happen this week, though no dates for a second phase of easing virus restrictions have been announced by Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak.