By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Five Filipino boxers including Z "The Dream" Gorres who battles former champion Waengpetch Chuwatana for the vacant OPBF super flyweight title in Mandaue City on March 18 are in line for title shots based on the latest regional ratings.
OPBF president Frank Quill emailed the latest ratings to Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today which indicated that former super featherweight champion Randy Suico who relinquished his title to move up into the lightweight division was immediately rated No.1 and would get a mandatory shot at champion Chikasa Inada of Japan.
Suico himself told us the title fight against Inada may take place in Japan sometime in May. Suico is managed by well-known Japanese matchmaker and journalist Joe Koizumi.
Others in line for OPBF title shots are Philippine Boxing Federation flyweight champion Federico Catubay who was stripped of his RP title by the Games and Amusements Board last December for failure to defend it within one year. Catubay is lined up for a mandatory title crack at Japan’s Noriyuki Komatsu.
WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight champion and world-rated Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista is ranked No.1 in the 118 pound division where countryman Malcolm Tunacao is champion. However, Tunacao’s next title defense is a voluntary one.
Rex "Wakee" Salud’s super featherweight Jimrex Jaca is ranked No.1 by the OPBF and will get a chance to fight for the vacant crown against No.1 ranked Yusuke Kobori of Japan.
Other highly-rated Filipino boxers were Alex Escaner, No.2 super bantamweight and Bart Abapo who was rated No. 2 in the super lightweight division.
