Finally, a foe for Manny

It’s not easy to find an opponent for International Boxing Federation (IBF) superbantamweight champion Manny Pacquiao. Nobody likes a beating and you know Pacquiao, thanks to his murderous fists, can dish it out.

Promoter Bebot Elorde looked for takers in Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, and South Korea. He got the same response. Thanks but no thanks. He offered $15,000 for Vuyani Bungu, a former IBF 122-pound titlist, to fly in from South Africa. The money was tempting and for a while, Bungu seriously thought about signing on the dotted line. Until he realized it was like signing his own death warrant. In the end, Bungu backed out, too.

Running out of options, Elorde tried a longshot. He contacted his Sydney pal Danny Leigh and asked if there were warm Aussie bodies for Pacquiao. Elorde was open to anyone except Nedal Hussein who rumbled with Pacquiao here two years ago. Pacquiao’s business manager Rod Nazario refused to deal with Hussein’s hot-headed agent Jeff Fenech who acted like a spoiled brat after referee Carlos Padilla stopped the fight because of a bad cut on the visitor’s eyelid. Too bad because Hussein indicated he wouldn’t mind a rematch. Hussein would’ve been a willing victim.

Not that Nazario is scared of Hussein, now the World Boxing Union (WBU) junior featherweight ruler. It’s just that in his mind, Pacquiao fighting Hussein brings nothing to the table. Why bother with someone like Agapito Sanchez, that obnoxious Dominican roughhouser who did a classic impersonation of Sandy Saddler in holding Pacquiao to a technical draw in 2001? Hussein and Sanchez are cut in the same mold. Throw in Fenech and you’ve got boxing’s version of the unholy trinity.

Leigh thought deep and hard and remembered a durable, rugged Kazakh who went the distance in losing a 12-round decision to unbeaten Ugandan Jackson Asiku in a World Boxing Organization (WBO) Asia Pacific featherweight title bout in Sydney last September. Leigh suggested a warrior named Serikzhan Yeshmagambetov of Kazakhstan. When he fought in Sydney, the Kazakh went by Serif Zahan to spare a lot of tongues from twisting. In most boxing records, he’s known as Serik Eshmagombetov–same difference.

Leigh made a few phone calls and voila, Pacquiao had his opponent for a non-title fight on March 8 at the Casino Filipino in Paranaque. Elorde could be so happy. Leigh saved his card from going down the drain.

For Pacquiao’s sake, let’s hope Serik–let’s call him that–turns out to be as good as advertised. Note that Pacquiao has worked only three rounds since the Sanchez fiasco in November 2001 or 14 months ago. Clearly, he wasn’t pushed nor tested in his last two fights against Jorge Eliecer Julio and Fahprakorb Rakkiat-Gym. Pacquiao needs to work up a sweat, to be challenged, and to feel the pressure of fighting a tough foe. It’s possible that he’s become comfortable, complacent, and rusty because of the lack of competition.

If it’s true that Pacquiao is being lined up for a $500,000 payday against Marco Antonio Barrera, he’s got to be prepared to fight the Mexican like he’s never fought before. It’s his chance of a lifetime. He’s got to be warmed up and juiced.

Will Serik put up a decent fight against Pacquiao or will he just roll over, take the money and run all the way to the bank? He won’t do Pacquiao any good if he turns out to be a patsy.

Serik, 30, turned pro in 1994 and has since compiled a 13-10-1 record, with eight knockouts. What’s disturbing is his failure to win the Pan Asia Boxing Association (PABA) featherweight crown in three tries. The hard-luck Kazakh just couldn’t get it done.

In 1997, Serik traveled to Bangkok to face Chamuokpetch Cha-Owchamueng in a PABA featherweight title bout. The Thai pounded out a majority 12-round decision. The judges had it 117-113, 116-113, and 115-all. At least, it wasn’t a runway.

In 1999, Serik fought Sukhee Nemekhbayer to a ninth round technical draw in another PABA featherweight match in Shymkent, Kazakhstan. Later that same year, Serik was stopped in the eighth round by Soleh Sumdava in his third bid for the elusive PABA diadem.

Serik has seen action in Thailand, Indonesia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Russia, Australia and of course, his native country. It’ll be his first time in Manila. What’s buoying Serik’s confidence is he’s coming off a third round stoppage of Abramenko to win the Commonwealth of Independent (Soviet) States title. So he’s planing in with his head up.

Serik’s knockout rate–eight stoppages in 13 wins–indicates he’s no powder-puff puncher. He took out Dmitri Kochmar in a single round in September 1999. But alas, in a rematch a month later, Kochmar defeated Serik via a split six-round verdict.

How durable is Serik? He survived 12 rounds with Asiku who once beat Filipino Arnel Barotillo and also went the full route against Chamuokpetch. Only three of his 10 losses were by technical knockout. The other setbacks were on points.

From indications, it appears that Serik won’t be blown away like Julio or Fahprakorb. He’s made of Mongol stock and that says a lot about his ability to take punishment. Serik is used to the hard life in Kazakhstan. He knows what it’s like to be hungry, to be cold in winter, and to be desperate.

In the ring, Serik isn’t expected to back down from Pacquiao. And he won’t. He realizes that an upset over Pacquiao will be his ticket out of poverty. He’s ready to give it all he’s got. And Pacquiao wouldn’t have it any other way.