By Ronnie Nathanielsz
World-rated Ramie Laput plans to follow the example set by AJ “Bazooka” Banal who rocked the crowded Cebu Coliseum last Saturday with a smashing 2nd round knockout of highly-touted “African Golden Boy” Mbwana Matumla when he battles former world bantamweight champion Ratanachai Sor Vorapin on May 28 which is a Thursday.
Laput who is ranked No.7 by the WBO realizes that just like Banal, his showdown with Ratanachai Sor Vorapin could well be a career-defining fight since an impressive win will set the stage for a much- sought- after US debut, programmed by his manager Ken Smith of the Digos, Davao-based American Boxing Academy.
Laput who has a record of 36-3 with 18 knockouts is the reigning WBO Intercontinental super bantamweight/junior featherweight champion and also held the WBO Asia Pacific super bantamweight/junior featherweight title.
He won the vacant WBO Asia Pacific crown with a rousing 3rd round TKO over Thailand’s Mongkolchoi Singmanasak on October 4, 2008 in Naga, Cebu and captured the WBO Intercontinental title with a unanimous twelve round decision over tough Donriel Marcos on December 21, 2008 in Digos.
In his last fight on March 6 this year Laput scored a 7th round knockout over Rene Bucag in Zamboanga City , in the process building a fan-base in the region.
Laput’s last appearance at the Cebu Coliseum was in August 2003 when he won the Philippine super flyweight title with a twelve round split decision over Alex Egina.
Ratanachai Sor Vorapin who is 32 years old and has a record of 73-11 with 49 knockouts is a hardy veteran with considerable ring smarts and is itching to avenge his last defeat to Michael Domingo in a WBO Oriental bantamweight title fight which he lost by a 9th round TKO but which he protested, claiming there was no reason to call a halt to the fight because he was not badly hurt.
The grizzled southpaw who also lost twice to veteran Gerry Penalosa, his most recent defeat being in a WBO bantamweight title fight on April 6, 2008 when he lost by an 8th round TKO, is determined to avenge those setbacks and plans to achieve this in the fight against Laput.
The Laput-Ratanachai Sor Vorapin bout as well as the other main supporting bouts on what promises to be an exciting evening of boxing will be beamed “live” to Thailand and will also be telecast on the top-rated weekly boxing show “The Main Event” presented by Tanduay, the No.1 Rhum and Pagcor, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.
