By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Two Filipino fighters face tough battles, on the eve of “The Event” featuring pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and Ghana’s Joshua Clottey, at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Texas.

22 year old southpaw Richie Mepranum who has a record if 16-2-1 with only three knockouts takes on unbeaten and hard-hitting flyweight contender Hernan “Tyson” Marquez who has 18 big knockouts in 25 wins in the main event of the Top Rank Promotions card.

Marquez won by a 2nd round knockout over Ricardo Armenta last December 19 while Mepranum scored back-to-back decisions in the US beating Cesar Lopez on December 6, 2008 and then scoring a six round split decision over Ernie Marquez on November 14, 2009.

Mepranum once held the WBO Oriental flyweight title which he won via a twelve round unanimous decision of Tanzania’s Juma Fundi in Maasim, Sarangani on June 14, 2008. Sarangani is where Pacquiao is seeking a congressional seat in the May 10 elections.

Southpaw Dennis Laurente faces Ghana’s veteran Ben Tackie who has a record of 29-11-1 with 17 knockouts. The 32 year old Laurente who has a record of 33-3-5 with 17 knockouts is coming off an easy 2nd round TKO over Thailand’s Laimongkorn Chuwatana last Januart 23.

Tackie dropped a ten round decision to Matthew Hatton, young brother of Britain’s Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton in his last fight.  

Both Mepranum and Laurente who is a fighter of Johnny Elorde have been training at the Wild Card Gym of Freddie Roach in Los Angeles and are reportedly in good shape and ready to take on two tough opponents.