by Ronnie Nathanielsz

As BoxingScene.com previously reported on Monday, former WBO super flyweight champion “Marvelous” Marvin Sonsona will battle Puerto Rico’s former IBA featherweight champion Orlando Cruz  at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas - on July 6th with ESPN televising on Friday Night Fights.

Filipino promoter Sammy Gello-ani, who is a partner of well-known international promoter and matchmaker Sampson Lewkowicz, told the BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard that Sonsona who has a record of 16-1-1 with 13 knockouts will be well prepared for the clash with Cruz who has a record of 18-2-1 with 9 knockouts.

Sonsona who won the WBO super flyweight title and then had problems making the weight and lost the title on the scales, moved up two divisions to super bantamweight and lost by a 4th round knockout to Wilfredpo Vazquez Jr., who in turn lost the title to Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire on February 4 in San Antonio, Texas.

Gello-ani said “my plan is to bring him to America for training because I want him to really concentrate.  He will train in the camp of WBC [diamond] middleweight champion Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez in Oxnard, California where he will be handled by Pablo Sarmiento.”

Cruz, nicknamed “El Olimpico” after representing Puerto Rico in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games where he lost a close 10-11 decision to Hichem Blida of Algeria in a bantamweight bout in the round of 32,  won the vacant IBA featherweight title with a 12 round unanimous decision over Carlos Guevara on March 22, 2008.

The well known Filipino promoter also informed BoxingScene/Standard that IBF light flyweight interim champion Johnriel Casimero will defend his title against Mexico’s Sammy “Guty” Gutierrez (31-7-2, 21 KO’s) possibly in Cancun, Mexico.

Gello-ani said the “defense by choice” will take place on June 30 but that the IBF has informed him that Casimero’s next fight, provided he wins, “has to be mandatory” which means facing reigning champion Ulises Solis of Mexico who won the title from Luis Lazarte of Argentina by a split decision on April 30, 2011.

Casimero won the interim title by a 10th round TKO over Lazarte in a riot-marred fight in Argentina on February 12.

Gutierrez scored a 5th round TKO win over Roilo Golez of the Philippines in a clash for the vacant WBC silver title on October 1, 2011 and in his last fight won by a tenth round unanimous decision over Carlos Ruben Dario Ruiz last March 3.

Tags: Marvin Sonsona , Orlando Cruz