‘Collision at the Coliseum’ tonight

Bigtime boxing returns to the Queen City of the South as the undefeated Ciso “Kid Terrible” Morales (11-0, 7KOs) defends his WBO Oriental jr. featherweight throne against Thai Narongnoi Or Muangklang (9-1, 5KOs) in the main event of the “Collision at the Coliseum” fight card starting at 7:00 tonight at the Cebu Coliseum.

The slambang event bankrolled by revered international promoter Sammy “Don King” Gello-ani is just  beginning of the historic three straight boxing promotions in Cebu, the others being the “Laban na Banal” by ALA Promotions on July 26 also at the Cebu Coliseum and the “Road to Redemption” by Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions on August 2 at the Pacific grand ballroom of Waterfront-Cebu City Hotel.

Morales, one of the country’s brightest title hopefuls, will make the second defense of the WBO regional belt he wrested  via a 12-round unanimous decision win over Marangin Marbun last February 9 at the Mindanao Civic Center in Tubod, Lanao del Norte.

Morales is hard-pressed to come up with an impressive triumph as Gello-ani plans to insert him in the undercard of Gerry Peñalosa’s WBO bantamweight title defense on September 20 in Tubod, Lanao del Norte - the first ever world championship match in Mindanao.

Peñalosa will be Gello-ani’s special guest at ringside in tonight’s slambang show.

The other ring stars to watch out for are the Australia-based Ranee “K.O. Kid” Ganoy and former world title challenger Bert “Ninja” Batawang, who will take on separate foes in the equally-explosive supporting bouts of the card assembled by SGG Sports Promotions in association with Viva Sports, Tanduay Rhum and Pioneer Elasto Seal.

Ganoy (21-10, 20KOs) will trade bombs with another Thai visitor Sapapetch Sor Sakaorat (13-4, 8KOs), while Batawang (47-7, 36KOs) will square off against fellow veteran Benjie Soralla (22-13-3, 6KOs) in the other exciting 10-rounder match that will surely rock the spectators to the hilt.

The rest of the action-packed undercards feature Balweg “Davao Hitman” Bangoyan (11-0, 7KOs) vs. Phil Angcamor of Cagayan de Oro City (14-5-2), Jonghwa Lee of South Korea (5-0, 1KO) vs. CDO’s Brian Diano, Pol Apolinario of Saranggani Province vs. Jason Layson of Manila, Marvin “Marvelous” Sensona of CDO vs. Jerome Buntog of Mandaue City and Chum “Warrior” Sedillo of Dumaguete City vs. Gerry Pahal of Cebu City.

Tickets are reasonably priced at P100 for upperbox, P200 for lower box, P300 for ringside and P500 for VIP/Sponsor.

Meanwhile, Filipino ring star Manny Pacquiao arrived in Cebu late yesterday afternoon on board a helicopter. He was with his wife Jinky, close associate and confidant Rex “Wakee” Salud and American agent Michael Koncz.

Salud said Pacquiao is here to thank the Cebuanos for their all-out support to him in his every fight, the latest was against David Diaz. The Pacman battered Diaz en route to a one-sided ninth round demolition to snatch the WBC lightweight belt and become the first Asian boxer to win four world titles in different weight classes.