All Set for Aug. 1 for Double WBO Oriental Championships in North Cotabato

VILLANUEVA

JABEL

This rustic town by the edge of the vast Liguasan Marsh is all set for the biggest boxing event to be held here - the double World Boxing Organization (WBO) Oriental championship on Aug. 1 featuring two of North Cotabato's upcoming boxing prospects.

 

The card, titled "Double Rumble: Survival of the Fittest" staged by North Cotabato's boxing patron Manny Pinol, features an all Filipino boxing card with WBO Oriental Featherweight champion Lorenzo "Thunderbolt" Villanueva, 23, making his second title defense against world-ranked Balweg "Davao Hitman" Bangoyan, the former World Boxing Council (WBC) superbantamweight international champion fighting in the main event.

 

The other WBO Oriental champion is between undefeated Jermie "The Worm" Jabel, 22, against Manila's Arden Diale for the vacant flyweight diadem.

 

Both fights are set for 12 rounds but boxing experts are expecting shortened encounters in the two matchups given the records of the fighters. Villanueva, 5' 7", holds a record of 18 wins with 17 KOs and 0 loss while Bangoyan has a record of 15 wins, 8 KOs and one loss.

 

Jabel, 5' 6" tall and a former amateur standout has a record of 15 wins, 8 KOs and 1 draw while Diale who fought world champions Rodel Mayol and Johnriel Casimiro earlier in his career has 8 wins, 4 losses and 3 draws.

 

M'lang Mayor Joselito Pinol said the fight, sponsored by San Miguel Corporation and local businessmen, will push through in spite of the floods that recently hit parts of the town.

 

Completing the card which will be staged at the M'lang Municipal Gymnasium are seven match ups featuring Braveheart Boxing Club fighters:

     - Rolando Magbanua vs. Nikong Calamba, 8 rds., 120 lbs.

     - Glenn Porras vs. Jun Pader, 8 rds., 120 lbs.

     - Rey Juntilla vs. Rolando Omela, 6 rds., 120 lbs.

     - Gary Lumacad vs. Ronel Omosura, 4 rds., 108 lbs.

     - Phil Francis Abanilla vs.Rando Espilete, 4 rds., 112 lbs.

 

The fights start at 5 p.m. and the boxing event is open to the public.(pr)

 

Finally, a TV Time Slot for Dapudong-Jimenez WBC Title Fight on July 10, Saturday

After a week of uncertainly, the World Boxing Council (WBC) Flyweight Silver Championship between the Philippines Edrin "The Sting" Dapudong and World No. 1 flyweight Jesus "The Destroyer" Jimenez held in Tepic City, Mexico last June 19 will finally be aired on July 10 from 9:15 to 10:15 p.m. on the government television channel NBN 4.

NBN 4 General Manager Joey Isabelo and program manager Agerico "Bobby" Arias confirmed the availability of the time slot which follows the top-rated "Swerte sa Lotto," the lottery show which is regularly carried by NBN 4.

The airing of the WBC Championship bout will be a co-production project of NBN 4 and the Braveheart Boxing Club owned by sports journalist and boxing manager Manny Pinol, who manages the country's newest boxing hero from M'lang, North Cotabato, the 24-year-old Dapudong.

Dapudong, the former World Boxing Organization Asia Pacific Youth Miniflyweight Champion and former WBO Oriental junior flyweight champion, was a last minute pick to challenge Jimenez, who was rated No. 1 flyweight by both the WBO and WBC and Latino Flyweight Champion, for the vacant WBC Flyweight Silver title.

The 5' 5" tall Dapudong knocked out Jimenez in the first round of the 12-round championship bout, a feat that shocked the Mexican boxing fans and gave Filipino boxing followers a pleasant surprise on a weekend when five other Filipino world caliber boxers, including WBC junior flyweight champion Rodel Mayol, lost in different parts of the world.

The airing on Saturday is sponsored by Ambassador Eduardo M. Cojuangco, Jr., chairman of the giant food conglomerate San Miguel Corporation. (pr)

Danding supports airing of Dapudong-Jimenez fight

(Photo captions: 1) Ambassador Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr. receives WBC flyweight silver champion Edrin "The Sting" Dapudong, who made a courtesy call along with manager Manny Pinol. 2) Ambassador Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr., poses with new WBC flyweight silver champion Edrin "The Sting" Dapudong, boxing manager Manny Pinol and Braveheart Boxing Club chief trainer Noli Pinol. (pr)



Showing his concern for upcoming Filipino boxers, San Miguel Corporation Chairman Amb. Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr. on Friday supported the airing July 3 of the sensational 1st round knockout victory of North Cotabato boxer Edrin "The Sting" Dapudong over World No. 1 Jesus "The Destroyer" Jimenez to win the World Boxing Council (WBC) Flyweight Silver Championship.

The fight, staged in Tepic City, Mexico June 19 and described by no less than WBC Secretary General Mauricio Sulaiman as spectacular, will be aired July 3 at 11 a.m. on ABS CBN Studio 23.

The show will be hosted by veteran sportscaster Ronnie Nathanielsz with Manny Pinol and sports journalist Recah Trinidad as panelists. Dapudong and his chief trainer, Noli Pinol, will also be interviewed in the show.

Cojuangco personally shouldered the payment of the airtime and the cost of the production of the one hour television special titled "Tale of Boxing's Barefoot Prince: WBC Flyweight Silver Championship."

"Filipino boxing fans should see this fight," Ambassador Cojuangco told Dapudong's manager, Manny Pinol, who called on him yesterday at his San Miguel Corporation office in Mandaluyong along with the new champion and Braveheart Boxing Club chief trainer Noli Pinol.

Long before Dapudong flew to Mexico to fight for the world title, Ambassador Cojuangco has already pledged his support to Pinol in his quest to produce a new world boxing champion.

It will be remembered and even before boxing icon Manny Pacquiao started earning hundreds of millions in his fights, Cojuangco, through San Miguel Corporation, has given the "Pacman" a lifetime special support fund in 9 digit figures.

Ambassador Cojuangco during the call reminded Dapudong to behave and live like a true champion and a model for the Filipino youth.(pr)