Sylvester Lopez To Face Tao on May 30 in Manila

By Rey Danseco

NEWLY crowned WBC International super flyweight champion Sylvester “Silver” Lopez of the Philippines has no plan to take a rest. He wants to move up as fast as he can.

From number 39, before he took the vacant WBC title on April 5, Lopez climbed 12 spots to 27 in the latest WBC rankings.

And 55 days after beating Korean national champion Jong-Nam Park with eight round technical knockout in Manila, the 21-year old Filipino fighter from Gabriel “Bebot” Elorde Stable will make another ring appearance.

Lopez (9-2-1, 6 KOs) faces little-known Chinese fighter Jiang Tao (6-7-1, 1 KO), who is coming off in four-fight winning streak since November, in a 10-round main event bout on May 30 in Manila.

Lopez displayed his potential to become the Philippines’ next world champion in his first clash against a foreigner and a debut in a title fight.

Lopez emulated Manny Pacquiao’s performance by sending Park to the canvas thrice in the first round and the Korean boxer did a Juan Manuel Marquez by getting up each time he got floored.

But in the eight-round, the 5-foot-6 native of southern Philippine province of Zamboanga Sibugay ,connected with hard shots to the head and finally annihilated Park with a single left hand shot to the body.

Lopez took at least a five-day rest after winning his first international title.

“I must keep on fighting, keep on training because I want to become a world champion as soon as I can,” said Lopez, who works out under the watchful eyes of former WBA Pan Asian Boxing Association (PABA) flyweight champion Archiel Villamor while his chief trainer, the three-time world title challenger Fernando “Ding” Cabanela is in the United States.

Cabanela, a Mexicutioner during the ’60 and ‘70s, is attending the preparation of WBC No. 3 light flyweight contender Juanito Rubillar in La Habra, California for his scheduled eliminator against his former victim, ex-WBC light flyweight champ Omar Nino Romero on June 6 at Gran Teatro "Tlachco" de Xcaret, Mexico.

“I don’t have idea about the style of my opponent, so I must train very hard in the gym while my chief trainer is not here. But anyway, we’re doing great in the gym.”