Thursday, June 26, 2008 Banal in best shape for WBA title fight
YOUNG boxing sensation AJ “Bazooka” Banal’s training is going well with a month remaining until his dream world title match for the vacant World Boxing Association super flyweight crown against WBA No.6 Rafael Concepcion of Panama on July 26 at the Cebu Coliseum.
“He is doing very well in his training. He has sparred close to 130 rounds,” ALA Promotions President Michael Aldeguer told Sun.Star Cebu in an interview yesterday.
Helping Banal in his sparring for the world title bout are bantamweight Michael Domingo, super bantamweight Weng Haya and Robert Allanic.
“AJ is at his best shape. He weighs around 123 to 124 pounds right now which is perfect with a month left until his fight,” said Aldeguer.
Aldeguer has acquired two tapes of Concepion’s previous fights and believes that Banal must use his speed and superb footwork when fighting a slugger like Concepcion like what he did to Uruguayan Caril Herrera.
Herrera shares a similar style with the Panamanian, and he defeated the Uruguayan in the fourth round of their International Boxing Federation super flyweight title eliminator last April 6 at the Araneta Coliseum.
Banal is currently in Manila shooting for his commercial for ABS-CBN and will be coming back to Cebu for a press conference next week.
Like Banal fellow ALA boys Milan “Milenyo” Melindo and Domingo are also doing well in their training for their undercard battle next month.
World Boxing Organization Asia Pacific minimum weight titlist Milendo will be up against another Panamanian Carlos Melo for the WBA Federlatin title, while Domingo will be clashing with Indonesian Maragin Marbun. (EKA)
