Balweg Bangoyan To Make His Return on December 17

By Rey Danseco

PHILIPPINE President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo personally congratulated phenomenal boxing sensation Balweg Bangoyan for duplicating Manny Pacquiao’s feat of winning the prestigious WBC International super bantamweight title recently in Davao City.         

Arroyo was elated and called the unbeaten Bangoyan (13-0, 7 KOs ) the “next Manny Pacquiao” during the 25 minute courtesy call.

Wearing a traditional Filipino dress called polo-barong and black pants, the 21-year old hard-hitting fighter presented the gold and green title belt to the president along with his hometown Mayor Alex Wangkay of Jose Abad Santos (JAS) in Davao del Sur, matchmaker Gabriel “Bebot” Elorde Jr. and trainer Vic Adriano.

Bangoyan won the title with a technical decision win in round five against previously unbeaten champion Sande Otieno (16-1, 7 KOs) of Kenya at Rizal Memorial College Gym in Davao City on June 10.

Bangoyan is a product of sports and boxing development program of Wangkay in JAS. Before turning pro, Bangoyan was a street fighter and Wangkay encouraged him to engaged in amateur boxing and then advised him to make boxing a boxing living and aim to become JAS’s first world champion.

“He’s special, he has talent and qualities of a world champion like Pacquiao,” said Wangkay. “With the president’s and our countrymen’s support, he will go far like Pacquiao.”

Pacquiao was the previous latest Filipino holder of that title, following the footsteps of former Elorde boys Paquito Opeño and Joe Hiyas after he stopped former WBC super bantamweight title challenger Reynante Jamili in all-Filipino title bout in round two.

After losing his WBC flyweight title in Thailand in September 1999, Pacquiao took the WBC International belt on December 18, 1999 on the day after he celebrated his 21st birthday, the same age of Bangoyan today.

Pacquiao defended the belt five times, mostly under the Elorde’s boxing events, until he took another world title when he dethroned South African Lehlo Ledwaba for the IBF super bantamweight crown with sixth round knockout win in June 2001 in Las Vegas.

Arroyo gave Bangoyan a gift. Wangkay revealed it was a monetary gift that Bangoyan will use for his rigorous training program.

Wangkay and Elorde plans to set up Bangoyan in a non-title fight on December 17 somewhere in Mindanao, possibly in Davao City again, or in Metro Manila.

His next fight (this year) will be a part of his preparation for a possible world title fight next year, maybe against (reigning WBC super bantamweight king) Israel Vazquez,” said Wangkay, who also successfully lobbied to the president the construction of the “missing link” in the 70-kilometer national road in three towns in the provinces of Sarangani and Davao del Sur all the way to JAS.