Jaro's pugs close in on titles

Two of boxing manager Aljoe Jaro’s fighters are zeroing in on world titles with Sonny Boy Jaro of Silay City taking a crack at WBC flyweight champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam of Thailand in Chonbun on March 2 and Denver Cuello of Iloilo facing Mexico’s Ganigan Lopez in a WBC minimumweight title eliminator here late April or early May.

“We’ll break through this year,” vowed Jaro whose base is in Binangonan, Rizal. “One of my boys, Abe (Concepcion), came close to winning the WBO featherweight title in 2009 but was disqualified for hitting (Steve) Luevano after the bell in the seventh round. Abe could’ve won that fight which is why Luevano didn’t want to get up even if he could’ve. Then, Abe had another title shot but was knocked out by Juan Manuel Lopez. Abe knocked down Lopez before he lost. Sonny Boy is 50-50 in his fight against Pongsaklek who’s very experienced but has a good chance to score an upset. What I can guarantee is Denver will be the world champion before the end of the year.”

Jaro’s first and only world champion so far is former IBF minimumweight titlist Florante Condes who lost the crown to Mexico’s Raul Garcia in his first defense in 2008. Sonny Boy, 29, would’ve been the mandatory challenger of the winner of the fight between Johnriel Casimero of Ormoc City and Argentina’s Luis Lazarte for the vacant IBF lightflyweight title in Mar del Plata tonight but chose to move up in weight to battle Pongsaklek. “It’s a gamble,” said Jaro. “Pongsaklek can’t fight forever. He’s now 34. When we got the offer to fight Pongsaklek, I thought it was a lucky break. This could be Sonny Boy’s time. He’s ready to fight. He’s comfortable at flyweight. He has the power to knock out Pongsaklek.”

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Sonny Boy has lost in two attempts to capture a world title. In 2008, he was outpointed by Edgar Sosa in a bid for the WBC 108-pound crown in Mexico City. The next year, Sonny Boy was stopped by Giovani Segura with a body shot in the first round of a WBA lightflyweight title bout in Merida. Jaro said he has learned from his mistakes of the past.

Sonny Boy has won his last four outings, all by knockout, including two in the first round. Two weeks ago, he bludgeoned Sammy Apuya in the opening round in Caloocan to raise his record to 33-10-5, with 23 KOs. The former OPBF, IBF Pan Pacific and Philippine lightflyweight champion has campaigned in South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan and Mexico in a career that started in 2001. He realizes this could be his last chance for a world title.

Pongsaklek has victimized over 30 Filipinos in compiling an 83-3-2 record, with 44 KOs, since turning pro in 1994. Two of his losses were to Filipino nemesis Jerry Pahayahay. The Thai has won 26 of 27 world title fights, including two interim bouts, and is unbeaten in his last 20 assignments.  He’s in his second reign as WBC flyweight champion. In his first term, Pongsaklek disposed of 17 challengers. He won his first title at Filipino Malcolm Tunacao’s expense in 2001. Two of his victims are WBC superflyweight champion Suriyan Sor Rungvisai and WBA bantamweight ruler Koki Kameda. Jaro won the purse bid for the Cuello-Lopez fight with a quote of $61,000 over Boxeo De Gala’s $60,100. Canelo Promotions represented Jaro in the bidding at the WBC headquarters in Mexico City last Friday.

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“The winner of the Cuello-Lopez fight will challenge WBC champion Kazuto Ioka of Japan by July,” said Jaro. “There is talk that Ioka will relinquish the title because he’s scared of fighting Denver. There is also talk that Ioka wants to unify the title by fighting Akira Yaegashi who is the WBA champion. No matter what happens, Denver will be ready to fight for the world title. If Ioka gives up the title, the winner of the Cuello-Lopez fight will be the new world champion.”

Cuello, 25, is booked to meet Indonesia’s Kid Suryana in a tune-up in Iloilo City on March 10. He has won eight in a row, all by knockout, since losing to Juan Hernandez on a highly-controversial third round disqualification in Mexico City two years ago.

Lopez, 30, is a southpaw like Cuello and has a 20-4 record, with 14 KOs. He has won seven in a row, the last four by knockout, and is the WBC Silver minimumweight champion. In 2007, Lopez went to Japan to knock out Thai Wisan Sor Suchariya in the seventh round so he’s not averse to fighting away from home. A common opponent with Cuello is Puerto Rico’s Omar Soto. Lopez beat Soto by a unanimous 12-round decision in Mexico City two years ago while Cuello halted Soto in two rounds in Honolulu last July. Cuello’s record is 29-4-6, with 19 KOs.

Jaro said the site for the Cuello-Lopez bout will be the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig or the Ynares Center in Antipolo.