By Ronnie Nathanielsz

The planned April 19 title defense of Marco Antonio Barrera against No. 1 contender Mzonke Fana of South Africa looks good according to Fana’s manager and well-known promoter Branco Malenkovic.

In an email to the Manila Standard, Milenkovic said “ we are in very advanced stage regarding” the Fana vs Barrera fight adding “it looks very good.” Fana won the right to fight the WBC super featherweight champion when he beat the Philippines Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation champion Randy “Komong Bato” Suico last May in Johannesburg by a split decision despite the fact that Fana was decked twice and was in serious trouble in the final round.

In the wake of the loss of Morales to Barrera last December, Fana stepped in line for the mandatory title shot which was ordered by the WBC. However, Viva Sports/Manila Standard learned that Fana is regarded as an unattractive proposition and difficult to sell in the US and Barrera’s handlers may refuse to honor the WBC ruling which may lead to Barrera being stripped of the title and the title being declared vacant, opening the way for a Suico-Fana rematch for the vacant crown.

In the meantime, international promoter Murad Muhammad disclosed HBO Sports was interested in a Barrera clash with WBC featherweight champion Injin Chi who retained his title with a lopsided unanimous decision over 21 year old Australian challenger Tommy Browne at the Convention Hall of the Grand Hilton in Seoul last Saturday. Injin Chi who is managed by respected South Korean businessman Kusung Lee told his close friend,WBC founding secretary general Rudy Salud that Chi would gladly fight Barrera if the price was right.

Chi was making the second defense of the title he won via a seventh round knockout in a celebrated rematch with Michael Brodie  of Britain. Chi who escaped with an eighth round KO over Eiichi Sugama last July was in much better shape for the Browne fight according to matchmaker and well known Japanese journalist Joe Koizumi.

In the supporting bouts on the Injin Chi-Browne fight card two Filipino boxers were beaten. Louie Bantigue lost a unanimous ten round decision to top-ranked Korean flyweight Nanam Kook in an overweight bout while RP No. 2 ranked Reyman Salim also dropped a ten round decision to former Korean super bantamweight champion Heungsik Lim.