By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Undefeated Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation minimum weight champion Rodel Mayol's title defense scheduled for January 29 at the Casino Filipino, Paranaque has been approved by OPBF president Frank Quill of Australia although Quill said he approved the defense against Indonesian champion Marti Polii "somewhat reluctantly" because Mayol is "so superior to all of the OPBF contenders" and he worried about a challenger being hurt. However, the OPBF president said Polii "has the right to challenge" because he won the Indonesian title last May 18 by an eighth round TKO over current OPBF No. 2 La Syukur. Polii is coming off a ten round unanimous decision over Filipino Edmund Velayo last December 14 and a February 17 ten round decision over Allan Ranada. Polii suffered a setback in August when he lost by a seventh round TKO to Donnie Nietes.

Mayol, regarded as a world "Champion of the Future" along with WBO Asia Pacific Bantamweight champion Rey Bautista and highly-rated super flyweight Z "The Dream" Gorres among others, has a record of 19-0 with 15 knockouts and an impressive victory may well put him line for a world title shot against newly crowned champion Isaac Bustos of Mexico who won the title by a fourth round TKO over Thailand's Den Janlaphan who fought under the name Eagle Kyowa. Mayol won the title via a devastating first round knockout over Genki Ohnaka on July 12, 2003 and also holds a third round TKO over Indonesia's La Syukur last September 21, the same fighter Polii beat by an eighth round TKO.