VETERAN fighter Bert Batawang may now have a new moniker—the King of Misfortune—following another setback in his quest to fight for the world title.
Yesterday, promoter Sean Gibbons announced that IBF junior flyweight champion Ulises Solis could not fight Batawang after Solis suffered a shoulder injury acquired during training.
“We are very sorry to inform you that Ulises Solis will be unable to perform on Sept 16 in a match scheduled with Bert Batawang. Solis is suffering from a shoulder injury,” Gibbons said in his e-mail to international matchmaker Sampson Lewkowicz that was forwarded to Sun.Star Cebu by the ALA Gym.
Batawang was scheduled to fight Solis shortly after his fight against Gerardo Verde was scratched from the Philippine Team lineup during the Boxing World Cup in Arco Arena in Sacramento, California last Aug. 12.
The cancellation of the fight is just the latest twist in Batawang’s career.
Verde, Batawang’s World cup replacement foe, was found to have detached retinas that forced the cancellation of the fight.
Postponed
Batawang was scheduled last May to fight Jose Francisco Rosas for an IBF eliminator but that was later “postponed” after the main event Michael Katsidis vs. Juan Guzman was cancelled.
The Batawang-Rosas fight was then scheduled to be one of the featured events of the Boxing World Cup but two weeks before
event, Rosas was replaced by Verde, who was eventually found not fit to fight.
“We greatly appreciate your efforts to structure this match and the efforts of the Philippine organization that approved this bout. We hope to make this event happen in the near future and we appreciate your understanding in this matter,” Gibbons said.
Batawang stayed in Los Angeles to continue his training for the foiled fight scheduled at the Hard Rock Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. (RCM)
