By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Filipino boxers Rolly Lunas and Roger Galicia will figure in title fights against South African opponents in a double-header to be staged by well-known promoter Branco Malenkovic in South Africa. The date and venue are yet to be finalized.
Malenkovic informed Viva Sports/Manila Standard that Lunas, the former Pan Asia Boxing Federation flyweight champion is scheduled to battle Masibulele Makepula
for the WBC vacant International super flyweight title after the WBC stripped champion Malcolm Tunacao for refusing a mandatory defense against Makepula when Malenkovic won the purse bid called for by the WBC.
The purse bid of Malenkovic was over $20,000 which, under the rules, meant that Tunacao would have earned $15,000. However, Tunacao said he didn’t want to fight
in South Africa and would rather take a fight in Japan next month.
The South African "Promoter of the Year" in 2003 said that Roger Galicia, the former WBC International bantamweight champion will clash with Gabula Vabaza for the WBA vacant International title on the same card. Vabaza, nicknamed "Tiger" is an undefeated 26 year old southpaw with a record of 19-0 with 15 knockouts and was the WBC super flyweight champion. Galicia is also a southpaw and the 24 year old has a record of 23-4-2 with 8 KO’s and won the WBC International bantamweight crown with a fifth round
TKO over Johnny Lear on March 15, 2003 at the Luneta.
Lunas has a record of 16-4 with 9 KO’s but has lost his last two fights. He dropped a unanimous twelve round decision to Thailand’s Saenghiran Lookbanyai in a WBC Asian Boxing Council bantamweight title fight on May 31 last year and then lost a split decision over ten rounds to Jake Verano on October 23, 2004. Masibulele, who won the IBO flyweight crown with a seventh round TKO over Filipino veteran Melvin Magramo
on January 26, 2002 and was also the former WBU light flyweight champion put on a game performance before dropping a majority decision in an IBF flyweight title
fight against Irene Pacheco.
