Tuñacao and Suico to risk OPBF titles in Japan today

Cebuano boxers Malcolm "Eagle Eye" Tuñacao and Randy "Kumong Bato" Suico, both from Mandaue City, are kicking to reap more honor and glory for the Philippines as they defend their Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation belts against separate Japanese foes today at the International Conference Hall in Nagoya, Japan.

Former WBC flyweight championTuñacao will defend his OPBF bantamweight title against Kohei Ohba, while Suico will put his OPBF super featherweight crown on the line against Ryuhei Sugita in the other 12-round bout.

Tuñacao, who sports a 19-1-2 win-loss-draw record spiked with 13KOs, is unbeaten since forfeiting his world throne to Medgoen Kratingdaeng-gym by a seventh round TKO in Thailand in 2000.

Tuñacao captured the OPBF 118-pound belt by scoring a lopsided victory over Thai Kumarnthong Poh Pluemkamol in Tokyo last November.

Tuñacao is expected to face tough challenge against the 21-year-old Ohba, one of Japan's brightest prospects.

Ohba, unscathed in 13 fights that include eight wins by knockout, pulled off an important victory over WBC rated Jose Angel Beranza in Nagoya last November.

Boxing pundits though believe that Tuñacao is too much more experienced and talented for the fast-rising Japanese youngster.

Suico, on the other hand, lost by majority decision to ex-IBF lightweight champion Javier Jauregui of Mexico in Los Angeles in his previous bout last September that drastically dropped him from No.3 to No.11 in the WBC rankings.

The 26-year-old Suico, a tall hard-puncher, wishes to re-establish his position by busily keeping his regional belt and going back to the US to try his fists again this year, according to his Japanese manager Joe Koizumi,

Suico, who parades a 23-2 win-loss record packed with 20KOs, will make the fifth defense of the OPBF throne he won by scoring a sixth round TKO of Korean Sung-Ho Yuh in 2002.

Ranged against Sugita, Suico couldn't take his foe lightly as the Japanese also holds an impressive 30-2-2 win-loss-draw ledger embellished with 20 victories via stoppage.

Sugita, Suico's three years senior, is on a five-fight win streak since his losing in his bid to wrest the WBA jr. lightweight throne by seventh round TKO to Thai Yodsanan Sor Nonthachai in February 2004.