Tuesday, August 10, 2004 Mangubat is ‘unprepared’ By Rommel C. Manlosa Sun.Star Staff Reporter
THE comeback road of former world-champion Gerry Peñalosa hit another snag after his fight with journeyman Randy Mangubat dubbed “Out For Blood” on Aug. 28 at the Cebu Coliseum was cancelled indefinitely when the latter backed out.
Promoter Paul Pereyra of Mindcom Production said that Mangubat’s Manila-based Japanese manager Yuki Maruyama cancelled the fight because his fighter lacked preparation.
“According to Yuki, Randy Mangubat is backing out of the fight because of lack of preparation. Right now we are looking for a possible replacement,” said Pereyra.
Mangubat, who holds a 31-20-12 win-loss-draw record with 14 knockout wins, lost to Japanese Yoshinubo Nakamura last April 25 in Komaki, Japan. He has reportedly failed to eturn to the gym despite several calls from his manager to start training for his fight with Peñalosa.
Pereyra, who currently handles Peñalosa, is hurrying to get his fighter back to the ring and seeks to pit the former WBC super-flyweight king for the IBF bantamweight title.
After he failed to recapture the belt in 2003, Peñalosa decided to hang his gloves and relinquish the WBC international belt and the North American Boxing Federation title last January.
Mangubat, on the other hand, has been trying his luck in several places since losing the WBC international flyweight belt to Diosdado Gabi in 2002.
Pereyra originally scheduled the promotion on Aug. 7 but gave way to the PBA All-Star Week, which Cebu hosts this week. Mindcom is also the promoter of the PBA All-Star Game on Sunday at the Cebu Coliseum.
“Everything was in order for the Gerry Peñalosa-Randy Mangubat fight before Yuki announced that Mangubat is backing out,” Pereyra said.
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