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Saturday, July 01, 2006
Replacements can’t wait for Sunday
By Rommel C. Manlosa
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
MANILA - Tomorrow is fight day. But for WBO Asia-Pacific Super-featherweight champion Czar Amonsot and RP Bantamweight king Michael Domingo, time is passing excruciatingly slow.
“I can’t wait for Sunday,” said the 21-year-old Tagbilaran City native Amonsot at the Scoop-Kamayan forum yesterday. “I’m thrilled. Fighting at home gives us (boxers) a plus, knowing that your countryman is watching you how you meet their expectations.”
Amonsot came in as a late replacement for Cebuano knockout artist Randy Suico. He arrived here only last Wednesday, but is already peaking, owing to his heavy preparations for his coming mandatory title defense on July 22 in Tagbilaran City.
Suico backed out of his fight after he was offered a crack at a world title later this week.
Though the waiting is a problem, the weight-factor is not for Amonsot, who will fight Mexican Silverio Ortiz at the 136-pound limit.
Amonsot campaigns regularly at 130 pounds.
Flu scare survivor
Unknown to many, Amonsot also suffered a viral infection the other week — the same virus that hit and forced Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista to back out at the last minute.
Amonsot however recovered just in time. He had sparring sessions with welterweights Mark Jason Melliguen and Dondon Sultan before getting approval to fight Ortiz.
The Amonsot-Ortiz fight was also almost cancelled after the Mexican expressed his unwillingness to fight a southpaw. A bigger purse convinced Ortiz to fight, though.
Domingo, Bautista’s replacement, also caught the flu but got lucky.
“Mine was only coughs and by the next morning it was all gone,” said Domingo.
Dominggo is confident that he will beat Felix Alejandro Montiel on Sunday.
“I just can’t promise what round I will knock out Montiel but I promise to give what I have to knock him down. The earlier the better,” said the Sultan Kudarat native puncher.
Good reasons
The 26-year-old Domingo has reasons to end the fight quickly. He is scheduled to defend his Philippine 118-pound belt on July 15 in Muntinlupa City.
Yesterday’s Scoop-forum was intended for the protagonists in the undercard, who were largely shunned during the official card press conference last Thursday.
No one bothered to invite Amonsot, who made waves in his two outings in the US , or former WBC super-flyweight champion Gerry Peñalosa.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (July 1, 2006 issue)
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