KUMONG BOL-ANON 19: Suganob, Tagacanao battle Thai foes

Sports

WILL Filipino boxers be able to defend their turf against visiting fighters from Thailand?

That question will be answered on Saturday night, December 21, when Boholano Regie Suganob and Cebuano Reymart Tagacanao face Thailander opponents in the featured fights of “Kumong Bol-anon 19” fight card at the Holy Name University Barder Gym in Tagbilaran City, Bohol.

Suganob, the No. 1 rated light flyweight by the World Boxing Organization (WBO), takes on hard-punching Nanthanon Thongchai in a 10-round non-title bout.

While no title is at stake, Suganob is hard-pressed to win to brighten his chances of contending for a world title against WBO light flyweight champion Shokichi Iwata.

“I prepared hard for this fight, trained for eight months because this is an important fight for me,” said Suganob after the card’s weigh-in proceedings on Friday, December 20, at the Bohol Provincial Capitol.

Suganob has 15 wins and only one loss with five knockout victories.

Thongchai, who holds a 13W-2D-2L record with 11 knockouts, vowed to pull off a big surprise.

“I will knock him out,” said Thongchai.

In the co-main event, Tagacanao is out to defend his World Boxing Association (WBA) Asia super flyweight crown against former world champion Phai Pharob.

Tagacanao is 9-0 with seven knockouts, while Pharob is 38-6 with 29 knockouts.

“This is my first-ever belt and I will do everything to defend it,” said Tagacanao, who hails from Napo, Carcar City, Cebu.

The third bout pitting Philippines versus Thailand fight is the duel between Althea Shine Pores (5-0-1, 1 KO) and Pimchanok Thepjanda (9-6, 6 KOs).

In the undercard, world-rated light flyweight Christian Balunan (11-0, 7 KOs) fights three-time world title challenger Robert Paradero (19-8-2, 13 KOs), one-time world title challenger Jake Amparo (15-6-1, 3 KOs) faces Jayson Francisco (5-7, 1 KO), Sugarey Leonard Pores (6-0, 4 KOs) meets Justine Darap (11-6, 7 KOs), Leonard Pores III (4-0, 3 KOs) tangles with Jessie Bell Goltiano (3-4, 2 KOs) and Freshler Utrera clashes with Noven King Espina (2-1, 1 KO).(CCM)