Pedro Taduran has big dreams for himself on the world stage. Before the IBF strawweight titleholder can conquer the rest of the world, though, he first has to handle business at home in the Philippines.
Taduran will make the second defense of his world title on Sunday when he faces compatriot Christian Balunan at the San Andres Sports Complex in Malate, Philippines.
The 28-year-old Taduran is in his second reign as a world titlist and will be bringing his belt home to defend for the second time since he won it last year in Japan. Although winning a world title overseas is always a cause to celebrate, the circumstances surrounding his opponent in that bout, Ginjiro Shigeoka, have created conflict within Taduran.
Following the fighters’ rematch this past May, Shigeoka collapsed in the ring and had to undergo brain surgery to relieve pressure in his skull from a subdural hematoma. Shigeoka survived the injury, but he is paralyzed on one side, is limited to communicating through hand gestures and faces a long recovery, per an August update from his brother, Yudai Shigeoka, who has retired from his own ring career to care for his brother.
What has made the injuries more devastating to Team Taduran is that Taduran is close to Yudai Shigeoka, who spent several weeks in the Philippines training with them beforehand, Taduran manager Cucuy Elorde said.
Taduran told BoxingScene that his heart remains with Ginjiro.
“I didn't want that to happen to him. I feel sorry for him because, until now, he hasn't fully recovered,” said Taduran, 18-4-1 (13 KOs), a native of Libon, Albay, in the Philippines who now lives just outside the Metro Manila capital region in Cabuyao, Laguna.
“Some people asked me why I did that to my opponent. I'm just saying, ‘That's boxing. I have to defend myself inside the boxing ring.’”
Taduran, a father to a young son and husband to a schoolteacher wife, understands that his ring career is what provides for his family, though he admits there have been times when he has struggled with the fallout of that night in Osaka.
“There are times when my strength and courage weaken,” Taduran said.” But I still try to be strong and steadfast for my family.”
As Shigeoka fights to regain his health, Taduran is fighting to establish himself as the best 105lbs boxer in the world. Against Balunan, Taduran faces a fighter who, at 5ft 6ins, is two inches taller and two years younger. At 12-0 (7 KOs), Balunan is unbeaten – though largely untested, with his best win likely being a five-round technical decision over former title challenger Robert Paradero in his most recent fight in December.
Taduran says that if anything will give him trouble with Balunan, it will be his height.
"I think it’s a very good test for Pedro; Balunan is undefeated," said Elorde, the youngest daughter of International Boxing Hall of Fame champion Gabriel "Flash" Elorde, and granddaughter of Hall of Fame promoter Lope Sarreal.
Taduran is hoping to avoid the fate that befell his first title run, when he won the same belt he currently holds in 2019 with a fourth-round stoppage of Samuel Salva, only to lose it two years later in the Philippines against Rene Mark Cuarto by unanimous decision. Cuarto eventually lost the belt to Mexico’s Daniel Valladares, who then dropped the title to Ginjiro Shigeoka, which led to Taduran’s two fights in Japan.
Sunday’s card is one of two scheduled for that week that will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the “Thrilla in Manila,” the third fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. The other card, scheduled for next Wednesday, will feature the Philippines’ only other world titlist, WBC strawweight belt holder Melvin Jerusalem, defending his hardware against South Africa’s Siyakholwa Kuse. The bout will take place at Araneta Coliseum, the site of that legendary heavyweight championship fight 50 years earlier.
The dueling fight cards will give fans an opportunity to contrast two Filipino reigning titleholders who both dream of becoming undisputed champions. Taduran says that although he would be interested in a unification fight against the 31-year-old Jerusalem, his dream fight would be against the Puerto Rican fighter who currently holds the WBO and WBA titles.
“I hope next year we two will have an undisputed title fight so that a Filipino can also be undisputed. After my fight on Sunday, my dream is to become an undisputed boxer,” said the aggressive southpaw Taduran, who is trained by Carl Penalosa, the older brother of former world champions Gerry and Dodie Boy Penalosa.
“If I were given the opportunity to fight with [Jerusalem], I would go for him. But Oscar Collazo is the best fight. I wouldn't mind watching his fight.”
Collazo, 13-0 (10 KOs), has already fought Jerusalem, stopping him in seven rounds back in 2023 to win his first world title, making six defenses and picking up the WBA belt last year with a seventh-round stoppage of Thammanoon Niyomtrong.
Taduran believes that he would be the best titlist to topple the undefeated Collazo and bring home all the belts to the Philippines.
“If we fight Oscar Collazo, I will prepare well so I can beat him,” said Taduran.
The card will stream live on the Elorde TV channel on YouTube, with the undercard to feature unbeaten Filipino featherweight prospects Lienard Sarcon and Junibert Bantay against one another, plus returning Hong Kong fighter Rex Tso, 23-0 (14 KOs), fighting for just the second time since going on hiatus in 2017, against India’s unbeaten Sagar Chouhan, 7-0-2 (3 KOs).
Ryan Songalia is a reporter and editor for BoxingScene.com and has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler, The Guardian, Vice and The Ring magazine. He holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at ryansongalia@gmail.com or on Twitter at @ryansongalia.
