Canoy eyes another upset

Journeyman Jason Canoy may not be the most talented, the quickest, nor the strongest, but he has had his fair share of upsets.

The 27-year-old Balamban, Cebu native hopes to once again score a huge upset when he takes on former world champion Luis Nery for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver bantamweight title this weekend at the Gasmart Stadium in Tijuana, Mexico.

“I’m excited,” said Canoy on what should be the biggest fight of his career. “He’s good and very tough. I need a knockout to win this.”

Canoy is 27-8-2 with 19 knockouts, while Nery is 26-0 with 20 knockouts.

Canoy’s career has been a rollercoaster ride. He has lost in every international fight that he has fought, from Russia, to Thailand, to Japan, to Ukraine, and to South Africa.

The bright spot in his career is his first-round knockout upset of former world champion Drian Francisco in 2015. He has also gained a lot of experience as Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue’s sparring partner.

“So far, my training went well. I know I lack sparring, especially against left-handers. But if this fight is for me, then it’s for me. This is my stepping stone,” said an optimistic Canoy, who fights out of the Omega Boxing Gym.

Canoy should have his hands full against Nery because the 23-year-old Mexican is one of the best in the bantamweight class.

Though currently not rated in the top 10, Nery is former WBC bantamweight champion. He has wins over some elite names in the division, the likes of Japanese star Shinsuke Yamanaka, Arthur Villanueva and David Sanchez.