By Rey Danseco

 

Manny Pacquiao owns the record as the first boxer ever to stop Erik Morales in his career. Yesterday, he made another unusual performance.

The Japanese Embassy in Cebu City gave Pacquiao some “extra special treatment” when he got a visa in just five hours on Thursday.

“Normally an applicant would get (Japanese) visa in five working days, but Manny took only five hours of process,” said Rex “Wakee” Salud in exclusive telephone interview from Cebu City.

Salud fetched Pacquiao, who came from his native General Santos City, at Mactan International Airport before lunchtime and they proceed directly to the Embassy.

“They’re working double time to give Manny his visa. In just few minutes we’ll get it,” said Salud referring to the release of the document before 5 pm.

Pacquiao and Salud will fly to Manila today. They plan to check-in at the Diamond Hotel until leaving for Japan on Saturday as they intend to support the title defenses of two world-rated Filipino champions in Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF).

Bantamweight champion Malcolm Tuñacao and super featherweight Randy “Kamaong Maso” Suico, who are both natives of Mandaue City, put their respective OPBF crown against Japanese challengers at the top the card at International Conference Hall in Nagoya, Japan on Sunday night.

The southpaw Tuñacao, the former WBC flyweight king, takes on a three-year campaigner of the game, Kohei Ohba. It will be the first time the Tuñacao risks his newly acquired title belt after he dethroned Thailand’s Kumarnthong Por Pluemkamol via a near shutout unanimous decision win on Nov. 19 in Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall.

Tuñacao, only 27 years old, climbs in the ring with 19-1-2 win-loss-draw records, spiked with 13 knockouts and currently rated No. 5 by World Boxing Council (WBC) among 118-pound campaigners.

Ohba, undefeated in 13 starts with 8 knockouts, will make his first title fight after making his pro-debut in June 2002. He’s only 21 and currently ranked No. 13 in the world by WBC and No. 10 by OPBF both in super flyweight division.

Suico (23-2, 20 KOs) will face former WBA super featherweight title challenger Ryuhei Sugita (30-2-2, 22 KOs)

Suico is coming off in a heartbreaking majority decision loss to Mexican Javier Jauregui in September at USC Lyon Center in Los Angeles, California.

It will be the second time Sugita aims to win the regional belt after Laguna-native Tiger Ari denied him via majority decision in 2001.

Sugita took the second blemish, a 7th round knockout, in the WBA title bout against then world champ Yodsanan Sor Nanthachai in Feb. 2004.