Philippine card has two titles on the line

By Rey Danseco

GOVERNOR Casimiro “Ito” Yñares of Rizal province and Gabriel “Bebot” Elorde Jr. joined hands once again to stage another first class boxing event, featuring separate championships clashes for the vacant World Boxing Empire (WBE) titles in a Ringside@Elorde-televised card over NBN Channel 4 on June 17 in the Philippines.

Ynares assured to Elorde yesterday, the availability of the air-conditioned Yñares Center in Antipolo City, the same venue where they juncture several foreign-flavored cards in five years including the exciting 10th round TKO win of Manny Pacquiao over Australia’s Nedal Hussein in 2000.

The collision bout between veteran Filipino fighter Baby Lorona Jr. and Darathai Sitoh from Thailand for the vacant WBE junior lightweight title, headlines the card dubbed “Bakbakan sa Antipolo City” (Rumble in Antipolo City).

The supporting main event will be between fellow champions Sukarno “Master Showman” Banjao and Celso Danggod for the vacant WBE flyweight throne.

Banjao is currently the World Boxing Foundation (WBF) International flyweight champ but like the other Filipino title-holders in WBF, except Dindo Castañares, he is also no longer interested to campaign under the Australia-based boxing body and will let his title be stripped.

Danggod’s newly acquired Philippine Boxing Federation (PBF) flyweight throne will also be at stake.

The other boxing show that Ynares and Elorde set at Ynares Center included two WBC International super-bantam title defenses of Pacquiao against Hussein and Japan-based Korean Tetsutora Senrima, in Oct. 2000 and Feb. 2001 respectively, the 3rd of five bouts between RP super-feather king Bobby Pacquaio and Lorona in May 2003, and when super-flyweight Malcolm Tunacao and minimumweight Arman dela Cruz captured the WBC International titles in Sept. 2003.

Elorde will also tap a Japanese import to test the mettle of the promising fighter Jonel Alipio in a special attraction while he is also preparing more exciting pairs of bouts for the undercard.

NOTE : The veteran writer REY DANSECO is based in Manila and the Sports Editor of Bagong Tiktik (Spy), one of the leading daily in the Philippines. He is also a pro-boxing judge and television commentator of weekly program Ringside@Elorde that airs from 11 p.m to 12 midnight every Saturday over NBN Channel 4 in the whole country. He also writes for Manila Times ( www.manilatimes.net ), which was established in 1898.