By Rey Danseco
FORMER champion Armand de la Cruz will try to step up his level of competition when he sees action for the first time in South Africa for a vacant world crown next month.
The 22-year old, Cebu-based native of Guindulman town ni Bohol fights undefeated South African minimumweight champion Nkosinathi Joyi for the International Boxing Organization (IBO) mini-flyweight title at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park, near Johannesburg, on November 4.
Joyi, ranked No. 26 by the World Boxing Council, is the original choice to become the first challenger of now former WBC international minimumweight champion Gabriel Pumar last Friday at Nasrec Indoor Arena in Johannesburg.
The southpaw Joyi refused to sign with Serbian-African promoter Branco Milenkovic for the Pumar challenge and instead opted to make the deal done under the promotion of Milenkovic rival, Rodney Berman of Golden Gloves Promotions, to face the more seasoned Dela Cruz.
Joyi is unbeaten in 16 fights with 11 knockouts. He solidified his reputation is one of South Africa’s best prospects in any weight classes after defending his national title for the sixth time with devastating second round stoppage win over Thobani Mbangeni on Sept. 22.
De la Cruz who at 22 is Joyi’s junior by a year. But he is more veteran campaigner with at least 27 fights (19-7-1, 8 KOs) in his five year career.
Also a southpaw, Dela Cruz was a former WBC international minimumweight champion when he ended veteran Ernesto Rubillar’s reign with split decision win in Sept. 2003. He was stripped of the title after a failure to defend it on time.
Dela Cruz’s first took title belts on March 2003 when he captured the WBC Youth light flyweight title and Asian Boxing Council light flyweight diadem from previously undefeated Sarikalek Eakarin with third round knockout in Thailand.
Last April, Dela Cruz failed to dethrone RP minimumweight king Florante Condes after he lasted for only five rounds. But, he was able to win in his next and last fight, a technical decision win over Michael Rodriguez in Cagayan de Oro City last month.
