Ready for the World?

After the lights were dimmed and the crowds excited at Pinoy Pride 29 in Davao, an excited boxing fan told us that Jason Pagara’s two round KO win over Cesar Chavez was so impressive and that Pagara should go straight for the world championship in the super lightweight division (140 pounds). “Hinog na na. Derecho na para world champion,” he declared. He also said the same is true for Genesis Servania, while Arthur Villanueva needed at least two to three more fights before a shot at a world title. He was also very grateful to ALA Promotions and ABS-CBN for bringing Pinoy Pride to Davao, saying that the event was something else. “Salamat kaayo. Lahi gyud. Nindot kayo ang Pinoy Pride,” he said. I saw a lot of excitement and a fierce following for boxing in him. He was sincere and filled with praises not only for the boxers but for the whole event over-all which a first in two years for Pinoy Pride in Davao. I hindsight, the guy was right in more ways than one. Pagara, Servania and Villanueva proved that they are slowly but surely climbing up the ranks in their respective divisions, while Pinoy Pride is also set to take off for an international “career.”

Ironically, the three boxers carved out wins in contrasting manner. Pagara needed only two rounds to wipe out Chavez, while Servania and Villanueva went the full route in defeating their Mexican foes. But did the short fight merit a world title shot for Pagara? And what did a decision win mean for the Genesis and Arthur? When talking about a world championship, one needs to take a look at the bigger picture for a realistic assessment if one is ready for the big one. In Jason’s case, there is one fact that we have to face. The 140-pound division is loaded. And I mead loaded. Danny Garcia, Lucas Matthysee, Lamont Peterson, Chris Algieri, Ruslan Provodnikov, Adrian Broner, Jesse Vargas, and Viktor Postol, Khabib Allakhverdiev, Thomas Dulorme and Maricio Herrera are the top ten of Ring Magazine’s ratings. Garcia is recognized as Ring’s champion. Can Pagara be mentioned in the same breath with them? That Davaoeno fan obviously believes Jason should be right in the mix. I don’t want to take anything away from Jason, but I also want to be realistic with his chances. He’s still young and doesn’t need to be forced into a fight that he can’t handle. Let’s not forget the case studies filed under Boom Boom Bautista and AJ Banal. Moreover, he hasn’t faced an opponent at the level of these boxers. For now, he’s better off sharpening his craft and a planned trip to the U.S. is just what he needs. He is set to train and more importantly spar with other “big boys” there and also see action in ALA Promotions’ first series of boxing events in San Diego. This is a more logical first step for Jason to take as he sets his sights on a world title. After a training/sparring stint and a couple of tune-up fights in the U.S., we can then assess whether he’s ready for at least a fight against a top ten opponent.

In Servania’s case, the coast looks a little bit lighter but this doesn’t mean there aren’t any top caliber boxers out there. For starters, no less than Nonito Donaire is there, and we’ll get to see him fight in his return trip to the 122-pound division in Pinoy Pride 30 next month. Servania himself is ranked in the top ten of Ring Magazine under Guillermo Rigondeaux as the Ring’s champion. The top ten are composed of Carl Frampton, Leo Sta. Cruz, Scott Quigg, Servania, Chris Avalos, Kid Galahad, Andres Gutierrez, Shingo Wake, Rey Vargas, and another ALA Boy boxer Pagara. Should Donaire win convincingly over William Prado, he’ll most likely break into the top ten. On paper, Servania is ripe for a world title fight, but will ALA Promotions actively seek a fight against Rigondeaux? ALA’s Michael Aldeguer has said that when the WBO calls for a mandatory challenge/title fight between Rigo and the top ranked “Azukal,” they’ll consider it. My only concern here is that both their styles don’t match as both are counter punchers who waits for the other before landing blows. Servania’s win last Saturday was a welcome departure from his counter punching ways when he had to take the lead against a back-pedalling opponent in Hernandez. Rigo will box in the same manner, but will also land a lot of punches in a counter-punch mode. Case study? Review the Rigo-Donaire tape and you’ll see what I mean. Is Genesis ready for this?

King Arthur Villanueva finds himself in a situation similar to that of Servania. Arthur is already ranked #6 by Ring Magazine which hasn’t declared a champion. But the division has Japan’s wonder kid Naoya Inoue ranked at the top. Inoue is an amazing two-division champ with only eight fights tucked under his belt. And he happens to be the WBO champ where is Arthur is ranked #2. After seeing Inoue overpower long-time champion Omar Narvaez in just two rounds, I’d like to see how Arthur would fare but then again, should it be this early? Villanueva will need to rely on his over-all boxing skills to defeat Inoue, but will this set of skills be enough? If he were to look around, the other world champs are Carlos Cuadras (WBC), Kohei Kono (WBA), and Zolani Tete (IBF). This is what it means when one says it gets crowded at the top.

After Pinoy Pride 29, there’s another guy ripe for the international scene. It’s no less than Pinoy Pride itself. After putting up world class events in the Philippines and Dubai, it’s set to rub elbows with boxing’s big dogs in the U.S. ALA Promotions has been granted a license to promote fights in the state of California, and it all starts with a boxing card in May, followed by another in June. But that it isn’t it. They’re already talking about a big one in September. Though it may not be at the level of Top Rank or Golden Boy, ALA Promotions has proven that it’s another example of Pinoy Pride itself. Proudly Pinoy!

Did you say “Ready for the world?”