Sonny Boy Jaro, Michael Farenas Ready For Latin Fury
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Sonny Boy Jaro (30-7-5, 19 KO’s) gets another crack at a world title when he battles interim champion Giovanni “El Guerrero Azteca” Segura (20-1-1, 16 KO’s) for the WBA light flyweight title in Top Ranks’ “Latin Fury 10” fight card in Grand Mayan, Nueva Vallarta, Mexico on Saturday.
On the same card hard-hitting southpaw Michael Farenas (25—2-2, 22 KO’s), a protégé of former two-division world champion Gerry Penalosa, takes on Arturo Gomez (15-12-3, 6 KO’s)in an eight round supporting bout.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told us Thursday that Michael Koncz was able to secure a visa for Jaro at the last minute and he had left on a flight fromLos Angeles toMexico.
The 27 year old Jaro dropped WBC champion Edgar Sosa in the 9th round of a title fight but couldn’t put him away and lost a unanimous twelve round decision on September 27, 2008.
In preparing for his second shot at a world crown Jaro scored a 1st round knockout over Ruslee Samoh of Indonesia on January 11 this year and followed it up with another first round knockout over former world title challenger Eriberto “Yukka” Gejon on April 19.
Segura who like Jaro is also 27 years old, won the WBA interim title with a 4th round TKO in a rematch with Cesar Canchila to whom he lost in their first meeting for the interim title via a twelve round unanimous decision on July 26, 2008 in a fight that was described as a war.
In the rematch last March 14, Segura dropped Canchila in rounds one and two before scoring a controversial 4th round stoppage.
BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports contacted Penalosa shortly after their arrival in Nueva Vallarta and he told us that he had high hopes for Farenas and that he was in “good shape” after having trained extensively at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.
Conditioning expert Alex Ariza who got Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao into tremendous shape for his fights against David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky “Hitman” Hatton told us some time ago that he’d seen Farenas work out and he was impressed by his power.
Farenas will be making his second foray into Mexico having won an eighth round unanimous decision over Fermin De Los Santos in Aguascalientes on May 17, 2008.
Farenas made his US debut with a 2nd round knockout of Arturo Valenzuela on October 6, 2007 and followed with a 3rd round TKO over Baudel Cardenas. In his last fight on May 1 this year, Farenas ripped Walter Estrada, an experienced 34 year old southpaw with a record of 35-9 and 24 knockouts.
In a lightweight clash for the WBA Interim title undefeated Urbano Antillon (26-0,19 KO’s) who destroyed Bobby Pacquiao in one round with a vicious body shot on March 13, 2008 takes on Miguel Acosta (25-3-2, 19 KO’s) adding more fury to the fight card.
