By Rey Danseco
BACARRA, Ilocos Norte, Philippines – The two veteran boxers who traded punches with popular Pacquiao brothers, Manny and Bobby, will clash tonight in the main event of the first boxing event here in almost past 30 years.
Former Philippine featherweight champ Baby Lorona Jr. and Joebar Damosmog will meet in rematch, scheduled for 10-rounds at the lightweight limit.
Both boxers are oozing with confidence as the host of the event, Mayor Philip Velasco and promoters Frankie Balasi, a former boxer from here and turned businessman in Hawaii, and Gabriel Elorde Jr. are also looking for a sell-out crowd at the sports complex here.
“Seems he’s in tip-top shape and 100 percent ready, but I will try to emulate my tactics on our first fight,” said Lorona, who once beat Bobby Pacquiao with 7th round knockout in 2003.
Lorona tipped the scale in the official weigh in at the Natba beach resort at 136 pounds while the cocky brawler Damosmog submitted 134-lb while wearing sando, jogging pants and shoes.
“He’s several pounds heavier, I maybe 132 or less pounds today (yesterday) but it would not make a difference when we meet in the ring,” said Damosmog, who once tapped as one of Manny Pacquiao’s sparring partners in Manila and Davao.
The last time Bacarra hosted a boxing installation was in 1978 when the young Balasi knocked out Boy Margallo with damaging jab-straight-hook combo before a sell-out crowd at the new Cockpit Arena in this agricultural town, which is 7 km north of Laoag City, the province’s capital, 488 km north of Manila.
Lorona needed to flex his muscles before he stopped Damosmog with left straight in the late round of their bout in 2005.
“I was a late substitute for that fight, so I’m not 100 percent ready,” said Damosmog.
Also slated is the fight between former World Boxing Federation (WBF) International flyweight champ Sukarno "Master Showman" Banjao and Javier Malulan in the 10-round battle at 115-pounds.
Pinoy-Hawaiian Michael Balasi was no-show in the weigh in and his scheduled fight with Anthony Ornopia was scrapped. He encountered problems with traveling to the region, but expects to watch the card at ringside tonight, according to his father.
Three pairs of clashes compose the preliminary bouts. Flyweight Ronilo Sermona takes on Edwin Tumbaga, minimumweight Marlo Villamor faces Sonny Ranedo, and lightweight Jobert Zamora takes on Robert Bummenaag.
Banjao was 6-pound overweight in the contracted limit and managed to shed two-pound. Malulan, who agreed to fight Banjao with 8-ounce gloves, tipped the scale exactly the super-fly limit.
Also slated are a women’s confrontation for 3 rounds between Jhugiet Ganado and Jessica Oyang, and amateur fight between two local pugs between Rolando Angel Jr., a campaigner in the recently concluded Naga Palarong Pambansa (National Games), and Remuel Obidos.
