Two Pinoys bid for world titles

The previous year ended with no Filipino world boxing champion and for a country that has produced legends like Flash Elorde and Manny Pacquiao, it marked a dark chapter in the history of the sport. There was a slight glow when Dave Apolinario captured the IBO flyweight title in South Africa last July but the championship wasn’t recognized by the Big Four governing bodies, the WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF. To this day, Apolinario hasn’t made a single defense of the IBO crown, an indication of a lack of interest in the belt.

The Filipinos who fell by the wayside in world title fights last year were Nonito Donaire, Jr., Jerwin Ancajas (twice), John Riel Casimero (stripped of the crown), Donnie Nietes, Mark Anthony Barriga and Mark Magsayo. The only fighter to win a world championship bout was Magsayo who dethroned Gary Russell for the WBC featherweight belt only to lose it to Rey Vargas in his first defense.

Since the start of the year, two Filipinos have won world titles. Melvin Jerusalem is now the WBO minimumweight titlist and Marlon Tapales won the super WBA/IBF superbantamweight straps last weekend. Two more Filipinos are in line for world title cracks. Vincent Astrolabio battles Australian Jason Moloney for the vacant WBO bantamweight belt in Stockton, once a hotbed of Pinoy boxing, on May 13. Then, Jade Bornea takes on IBF superflyweight king Fernando Martinez of Argentina in Minneapolis on June 24.

Former IBF minimumweight champion Rene Mark Cuarto, meanwhile, will take a big step towards regaining his throne when he tangles with Ginjiro Shigeoka for the interim title in Tokyo on Sunday. Cuarto yielded his belt to Daniel Valladares in 2021 and in the Mexican’s first defense, he fought Shigeoka to a third round no-contest. A clash of heads left Valladares unable to continue. The IBF ordered an immediate rematch but Valladares hasn’t recovered so Shigeoka and Cuarto were picked to vie for the interim championship. If Cuarto wins, he’ll be in line for a rematch with Valladares.

Astrolabio holds wins over Cuba’s Guillermo Rigondeaux and Russia’s Nikolai Potapov. Coach Nonoy Neri’s protege is a heavy-handed power puncher with a record of 18-3, including 13 KOs. Five of his last six wins came inside the distance. Moloney has a 25-2 mark, with 19 KOs and the Australian’s only losses were to Naoya Inoue and Emmanuel Rodriguez. He’s a typical rough-and-tumble Aussie who once stopped Aston Palicte in three rounds. The fight isn’t expected to go the full route and whoever detonates the first bomb wins.

Bornea and Martinez are both undefeated. There’s extra motivation for Bornea to win because he’s out to avenge Ancajas’ twin setbacks to the Argentinian. Bornea and Ancajas sparred with Tapales to prepare him for his title crack. Now that Tapales is a world champion once again, Bornea’s dream is to follow in his footsteps. It’s the same motivation for Ancajas who will now campaign in the bantamweight division. Bornea and Ancajas are training in the US, hoping their sacrifice away from home will pay off just like in Tapales’ case.