Boxing Sunday
By Manny Pinol
Former World Boxing Organization (WBO) Oriental Featherweight champion Lorenzo “Thunderbolt” Villanueva makes his second comeback fight after a long lay-off because of an injury when he takes on junior lightweight Alvin Makiling in a 10-round fight in Plaridel, Misamis Occidental Sept. 11.
The 27-year-old Villanueva from Bual Norte, Midsayap, who lost in his first attempt at the world title in May 2012 in Singapore, is known as a powerful puncher who had an impressive record of 23 wins with 22 knockouts before he took on Indonesia’s Daud Yordan for the International Boxing Organization (IBO) featherweight title.
He knocked down and badly hurt Yordan in the first round but wasted his energy throwing wild punches allowing the Indonesian fighter to survive and comeback to stop the gassed out Villanueva in the second round.
After one comeback fight in August last year, Villanueva was injured in sparring and had to take a long rest making an appearance only last Aug. 4 against journeyman Ruben Sentillanosa who gave up after the second round.
The Sept. 11 event, “Mano-Mano sa Bagong Plaridel,” is sponsored by Plaridel Mayor Nonoy Ty, a boxing buff who wants to use the boxing show as a way to encourage young boys in his town to take up the sport which has produced great boxing champions from the Philippines and lifted many poor kids from poverty.
Four other professional bouts and about 10 amateur bouts will complete the card.
Also appearing in the Sept. 11 card are 19-year-old Roskie “Kapre” Cristobal of Pres. Roxas, North Cotabato, the 5’ 10”-tall junior lightweight who is being closely watched and followed by boxing fans because of his height and tremendous power.
Cristobal, who will go up against veteran Eric Mansira in four rounds, will be making his 6th professional fight since turning pro at 17. He now holds a record of 5 wins in 5 fights, all of which ended in knockout in the first round.
In the undercard, junior featherweight and former national amateur standout Rolando Magbanua of Pigcawayan town will take on Roland Teofilo in six rounds while former WBO Oriental miniflyweight champion Rommel “Little Assassin” Asenjo, also of Pigcawayan, fights Brobro Languido also for six rounds.
Plaridel Mayor Nonoy Ty said the amateur bouts which will be featured during the event will be participated in by local boys and will mark the start of an amateur boxing program which the town will sponsor.
“I believe that all that we need to encourage these young boys to take up boxing is for them to see an actual boxing event featuring top professional boxers,” Mayor Ty said.
The Plaridel, Misamis Occidental boxing event which features boxers from North Cotabato who are products of a grassroots boxing program started in 1998 will be supervised by the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) Northern Mindanao Office under Vic Cabalog.
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