Sniper aims for WBO crown tonight

MANILA, Philippines — Cotabato del Sur’s Froilan (The Sniper) Saludar bids to join a growing list of Filipino world champions, including younger brother Vic, when he takes on WBO flyweight titlist Sho Kimura of Japan in a scheduled 12-round bout at the Qingdao Guosen Gymnasium in Shandong province, China, tonight.

The reigning Filipino world rulers are WBO welterweight titleholder Manny Pacquiao, IBF superflyweight king Jerwin Ancajas, WBO minimumweight champion Vic Saludar, interim WBA featherweight titlist Jhack Tepora and interim WBA bantamweight boss Reymart Gaballo.

Several Filipinos are lined up in world title fights. Former WBO minimumweight, WBO lightflyweight and IBF flyweight champion Donnie Nietes will face another Filipino Aston Palicte for the vacant WBO superflyweight crown, tentatively at the Forum in Inglewood, California, on Sept. 8. Nietes’ manager Michael Aldeguer, president of ALA Boxing, said the fight could be at the Forum or on a local Pinoy Pride card in late August or September.

“HBO has shown interest to put Donnie’s fight on the third edition of the superflyweight series,” said Aldeguer. “Discussions have started but nothing is final yet. It’s being negotiated. Hopefully, it will happen as there are concerns that are needed to be straightened out. However, we are holding on to our Pinoy Pride date.”

Another Filipino Randy Petalcorin has been cleared by the IBF to fight Nicaragua’s Felix Alvarado for the vacant lightflyweight throne which was relinquished by South Africa’s Hekkie Budler. Petalcorin’s co-managers Peter Maniatis of Australia and Jim Claude Manangquil of General Santos City are arranging to stage the bout in Melbourne in late September or early October.

Mark Anthony Barriga will also try to jump into the bandwagon when he faces Mexico’s Carlos Licona for the vacant IBF minimumweight title. Las Vegas-based international matchmaker Sean Gibbons plans to bring the fight to Manila in late September. Licona is represented by trainer Roberto Garcia who used to work with Nonito Donaire and Brian Viloria.

Donaire will take his turn to win another world title when he battles “super” WBA bantamweight champion Ryan Burnett, tentatively in Belfast in September. The fight will be in the World Super Series involving eight contenders in a knockout format to determine the undisputed bantamweight titlist. 

If Saludar beats Kimura, he will set a new record with brother Vic as the only Filipinos to reign as world champions simultaneously. Two Filipino brothers, Dodie Boy and Gerry Peñalosa, were world titleholders but didn’t reign at the same time. Saludar, 29, has won his last five fights to raise his record to 28-2-1, with 19 KOs. His only losses were to McWilliams Arroyo by a knockout in Puerto Rico in 2014 and to Takuma Inoue on points in Japan in 2016. Saludar decked Inoue in the first round but was dropped in the eighth and ninth to lose a unanimous verdict.

Kimura, 29, will make the second defense of the crown he wrested from China’s Zuo Shiming on an 11th round stoppage in Shanghai last year. His record is 16-1-2, with 9 KOs. Since bowing to Shosuke Oji in his pro debut in 2013, Kimura has not lost in his next 18 fights.