TADURAN’S REIGN UNDER THREAT
World boxing champion Pedro Taduran swears he has thought about slipping out of his hotel room in General Santos City one of these days so he can train properly.
It’s very hard to train inside a (hotel) room.
Believing that his reign as International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight king is facing a serious threat, Taduran is deeply concerned about his chances of retaining the title against challenger Rene Cuarto on 27 February.
“It’s very hard to train inside a (hotel) room,” Taduran told Daily Tribune in Filipino yesterday.
“Training is very limited because you can’t go jogging, hit the heavy bag, strike the speedball and spar.”
Since Taduran and his team were quarantined since arriving there last week, they have been unable to go out of the Pearl Suites for training.
The hotel doesn’t have a fitness gym, much less a boxing ring.
And this worries Taduran so much that he once flirted with the idea of catching the guy assigned to watch over them napping so the Bicol banger gets the chance to train at JC Mananquil’s Sanman Gym.
Taduran, who will be making the second defense of the IBF 105-lb title he had won in August 2019, feels he is at an extreme disadvantage against Cuarto.
The challenger, he thinks, could very well be out there in Davao City training inside a well-equipped gym while he languishes inside a hotel room, doing mitts with head trainer Tacy Macalos and just shadowboxing.
Taduran spent training camp in La Union where he did the heavy work for the Cuarto defense.
Last time Taduran fought was over a year ago when he traveled to Mexico and battled Daniel Valladares to an action-packed technical draw.
Cuarto (18-2-2 with 11 knockouts) did not fight in the entire 2020 owing to the pandemic but enjoys the company of Nonoy Neri, an integral part of Manny Pacquiao’s training team.
Taduran (14-2-1 with 11 knockouts), meanwhile, is hoping and praying that he gets the opportunity to go outside and work out in a proper environment — not inside a cramped space.