Filipino Boxers Fill The Card of Marquez-Pacquiao

By Rey Danseco

AT least three Filipino fighters are scheduled to steal the show on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez on March 15 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Former WBC International flyweight champion Diosdado Gabi, little-known Ernell Fontanilla and WBO Asia-Pacific Youth and Oriental super bantamweight champion Ciso Morales will take on separate opponents.

Gabi, the most popular active fighter from Davao City today, believes he has fifty-fifty chance of beating reigning NABO bantamweight champion Abner Mares of Mexico.

The fight will be the curtain raiser in the pay-per-view card which starts at 6:00 pm Pacific time.

Fontanilla, a protégé of Pacquiao’s sidekick Buboy Fernandez, will make his first fight in the United States after 11 starts in the Philippines. Morales will likely face a Mexican opponent in a six-round off-television bout.

Marquez puts his WBC super featherweight title on the line for second time since taking it from Marco Antonio Barrera with a unanimous decision win last March.

Another feature bout on the card has WBO featherweight champ Steven Luevano of Los Angeles taking on WBO Asian Pacific featherweight titlist Terdsak Jandaeng, a Thai boxer who fought patsies and over-the-hill Filipino foes to patch his record.