Prospects on the rise
WHILE it remains to be seen if the country has enough fistic talent to produce another Manny Pacquiao, not a few up-and-coming Filipino boxers are ready to give it their best shot.
In fact, as the year grinds to a close, some of our local prospects are ready to step up their game. Super bantamweight (122 pounds) Genesis Servania, super lightweight (140 pounds) Jason Pagara, flyweight (112 pounds) Rocky Fuentes and bantamweight (118 pounds) AJ Banal are all booked to appear in separate cards that figure to jack up their market value.
On Saturday at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu City, in the popular boxing series Pinoy Pride XV, undefeated Genesis “Azukal” Servania (18-0, 6 knockouts) takes on Mexican Jorge “El Feroz” Pazos (203, 13 knockouts) for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) Asia- Pacific super bantamweight crown. A native of Bacolod City, Servania merited attention in June when he stopped Mexican world-title challenger Genaro Garcia in 11 rounds. Servania displayed patience, above-par defense and an ability to finish with aplomb against Garcia.
While not a huge puncher, the 21year-old Servania offers a smooth as jazz counter-punching style. The Filipino is the smart money bet to prevail over Pazos, who has lost two of his last five fights. Unlike Garcia, Pazos lacks big-fight experience and has been relatively inactive. Pazos’ last fight came in June 2011 when he dodged defeat with an eight-round split decision win over Tadeo Cerecer. Two months before the Cerecer bout, Pazos was stopped in one round by countryman Carlos Cardenas.
Jason Pagara, 28-2 with 17 knockouts, figures to hug the spotlight with Servania at Pinoy Pride XV. Pagara’s fifteen- bout winning streak was snapped in September 2011 when he was outclassed in 10 rounds by Mexican Rosbel Montoya (16-3, 13 knockouts). The two are headed for a rematch with the hard-hitting Pagara promising a spectacular ending. At stake in the match is the WBO International super lightweight tiara.
All-action brawler Rocky “Road Warrior” Fuentes, 33-6 with 20 knockouts, makes his sixth defense of the Orient Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) flyweight crown at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu City on September 22 against Japanese chal- lenger Myung Ho Lee. Cebu native Fuentes is on a tear, having won his last 13 fights, 8 by knockout. Fuentes is a no-nonsense slugger capable of decapitating foes with vicious hooks and body punches. Lee, 15-1 with 5 knockouts, will be hard-pressed to survive Fuentes’ swarming offense. To his credit, Lee is in on a similar 13-fight winning streak since getting knocked out by Filipino Alfred Nagal in 2006.
AJ “Bazooka” Banal, 28-1 with 20 knockouts, vies for a regular world title on October 20 when he collides with Thailand’s Pungluang Sor Singyu for the vacant WBO bantamweight championship at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. Banal, a promising boxer-counter puncher, fought for the interim World Boxing Association (WBA) super flyweight (115 pounds) crown in July 2008 but was ambushed in 10 rounds by Rafael Concepcion of Panama. Banal was comfortably ahead on points when he inexplicably ran out of steam and dropped to the canvas like a rag doll.
Banal, 23, has since moved up in weight and is unbeaten in his last 11 fights. He survived a major scare in October 2010, when he escaped with a disqualification win over Nicaraguan power-puncher Luis Alberto Perez. Perez seriously hurt Banal in the seventh round and the Filipino was holding on for dear life when Perez was disqualified for allegedly throwing a flagrant blow.
Amid questions about his heart and conditioning, Banal is bent on becoming a world champion. Sor Singyu, 421 with 27 knockouts, is no Thai patsy, having defeated notable Filipino ring campaigners like Marvin Tampus, Rey Migreno and Eden Sonsona. The Thai is unbeaten in his last 19 fights and his only loss came in May 2005, when he dropped a split-decision to Belgian Stephane Jamoye.
The next Pacquiao may still be a figment of the imagination, but with the talent Philippine pro boxing now has, the sport is never more alive. For comments, the writer can be reached at atty_eduardo@ yahoo.com.