By Ronnie Nathanielsz
WBO Intercontinental super bantamweight champion Ramie Laput may see action on the undercard of a world title fight sometime in April.
That’s the word from Ken Smith, owner of the American Boxing Academy in Digos, in southern Philippines who disclosed that a planned fight against former WBO champion Daniel Ponce De Leon may not push through “because the money may not be right for the Ponce De Leon fight in Manila.”
Smith told BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports that his feeling was that a fight with Ponce De Leon would have to be in the US.
However, Smith said a fight for Laput who is ranked No. 8 by the WBO and has a record of 35-3 with 17 knockouts “is being negotiated” at this time and hopefully will push through.
The ABA owner/manager referred to the talented Laput as “the best kept secret in the Philippines” and was “very hopeful that Laput will be exposed to the world in 2009.”
Laput won the WBO Intercontinental title with a twelve round unanimous decision over Donreil Marcos on December 21 last year. He has fought on Viva Sports top-rated weekly boxing show “The Main Event” and has impressed us as being a skilled, cool and calculating fighter with excellent combinations and ring savy.
