Tuesday, July 15, 2008 Boxers to hold public workout at ALA Gym in BTC today
ALA Promotions vice president for promotions Dennis Cañete has announced that the ALA Gym warriors set to figure in championship contests on the July 26 promotion dubbed “Laban Na Banal” will hold a three-round wind-down sparring today at 5 p.m. at the ALA Gym Fight Club in the Banilad Town Center.
This comes at the heel of the public workout held yesterday at the Gaisano Fiesta Mall Entertainment Plaza in Tabunok, Talisay City.
World Boxing Association (WBA) super flyweight championship contender AJ “Bazooka” Banal will sweat it out with Lario Canillas, a 19-year-old 128-pounder and native of Tuburan, Cebu.
WBA Inter-Continental minimumweight championship contestant Milan “Milenyo” Melindo will square off with the 20-year-old junior flyweight Jerson Mancio, the first Pinoy Idol champion in the 108-pound class.
Main card
Philippine bantamweight champion Michael Domingo will exchange leathers with featherweight titlist Weng Haya, who is is currently the RP No. 7 and PBF No. 8.
Bazooka Banal, currently the WBA No. 3 titlist, will face off with Panamanian Rafael “Little Bull” Concepcion for the vacant super flyweight crown in the main card of the boxing entertainment at the New Cebu Coliseum.
Milenyo Melindo also bids for the vacant WBA Inter-Continental minimumweight belt against another Panamanian warrior, Carlos “Shanghai” Melo. Bruce Lee Domingo squares off with Indonesian Boxing Association No. 2 contender Rivo Rengkung for the vacant World Boxing Organization Oriental bantamweight title in the undercard.
Advance party
Meanwhile, a two-person advance party of Team Concepcion will arrive in Cebu City tomorrow in order to ensure their preparation for the title fight.
Concepcion’s manager Damon de Berry of the Optimum Sports Agency (OSA), a newly organized boxing management company based in New York City, will be accompanied by an assitant to check Rafael’s training facility and the availability of transportation for Team Concepcion among others.
De Berry is a New Zealand-born prizefighter who is now retired for a recurring hand problem. OSA has offices in London, United Kingdom and Paris, France.
“We are looking forward to arriving in the Philippines and making this a wonderful occasion for everyone,” wrote De Berry in an e-mail to ALA promotions president Michael Aldeguer.
De Berry came from the famous Gleson’s gym in Brooklyn where Concepcion is currently training for the Banal encounter.
The ALA Promotions Secretariat also announced that delegates from the Office of the Panamanian Ambassador to the Philippines have reserved tickets for the event. The unprecedented chance for Concepcion to take a shot on the world title has stirred much interest from the Panamanian community following his career. (PR)
