by Ronnie Nathanielsz

The manager of Al “Captain A” Sabaupan, Elmer Anuran has informed us that his fighter tipped the scales at 134.8 pounds at the official weigh-in held earlier today in Mexico while hometown favorite Marvin Quintero tipped the scales at exactly 135.

Anuran told BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard after the weigh-in that Sabaupan “is highly motivated and his Baguio training camp worked well because Al adjusted easily with the climate and altitude.”

The youthful manager reported that Sabaupan was “very much appreciated by the crowd who chanted Pacquiao’s name during the weigh in.”

Anuran said he expects a knockout either way with Sabaupan winning “from round five onwards.”  

In the battle of hard-hitting southpaws Sabaupan and his manager feel they have a good chance of overcoming the odds in the IBF title eliminator and that if they succeed in Sabaupan’s first fight abroad the Filipino lefty will earn a  mandatory title shot at IBF lightweight champion Miguel Vazquez (30-3, 13 KO’s).

Most boxing writers don’t expect the fight at the Unidad Deportivo Centenario in Michocan de Ocampo, Mexico on Saturday, to go the distance. ..

The 23 year old  Sabaupan who has a record of 18-0-1 with 13 knockouts won the IBF Pan Pacific title with a 3rd round knockout of Indonesia’s  Heri Adriyanto on April 17, 2010 and in his first defense knocked out Thai challenfer Wonpichit Twins Gym in the 1st round on July 10, 2010.

Sabuapan won a ten round unanimous decision against undefeated Arnel Donal (10-0-1, 4 KO’s) on November 5 last year and in his last bout which was a title defense on December 11, 2011 forced Jonel Gadapan to retire in the 4th round.

25 year old Quintero has a record of 24-3 with 20 knockouts and won his last fight by a 3rd round TKO of Virgilio Enrique Ramirez on November 26, 2011.

Significantly, all three losses by Quintero were by knockouts indicating he is a go-for-broke type of fighter. Two of his stoppages were at the hands of Tyrone Harris (an 8th round TKO on July 31, 2009) and Daniel Attah (2nd round KO on November 6, 2010).

Anuran feels that based on a previous boxingscene.com report on the Attah fight , Quintero tends to get careless and also fade in the later rounds and if Sabaupan who is a puncher can catch him with a solid left hook he can create a stunning upset.