ALTHOUGH all eyes will be focused on Mark Magsayo’s homecoming on Aug. 31, 2019 at the Bohol Wisdom School Gym in Tagbilaran City, there are three bouts in the main card of “Pride of Bohol” that should give fans their money’s worth.
One is the main supporting bout between Giovanni Escaner and Renoel Pael. The bout will be a battle of two experienced fighters.
The 29-year-old Escaner is a former interim World Boxing Association (WBA) Asia super flyweight champion. He lost and went the distance with Thai star Oleydong Sithsamerchai and knocked out one-time world title challenger Junichi Ebisuoka. He’s coming off an eighth-round knockout loss to Joshua Greer Jr. in a World Boxing Council (WBC) Continental Americas bantamweight title fight last Feb. 15, 2019.
Pael, who fights under the tutelage of Brix Flores in Cebu, has also seen his share fights against top fighters in his division. He fought the likes of former world title contenders Suguru Muranaka and Noknoi Sitthiprasert.
The 28-year-old Pael lost his last fight by unanimous decision against Ryusei Kawaura.
Escaner is 19-4 with 12 knockouts, while Pael is 23-9-1 with 12 knockouts.
Another fight that should bring out fireworks is the bout between hard-hitting Roldan Aldea (14-7-1, 8 KOs) and Uzbek Anvar Tuparov (5-1, 4 KOs).
Aldea won his last two fights by knockout, coming off an eighth-round knockout upset over previously unbeaten Russian Mikhail Alexeev.
Tuparov won both his fights this year, knocking out Filipino Roberto Gonzales and Malaysian newcomer Zulhairi Zulkahar.
The third notable fight in the card is between two promising prospects - Virgel Vitor (14-2, 8 KOs) and Alan Alberca (11-3, 6 KOs).
After a knockout loss to veteran Mark Anthony Geraldo, Vitor bounced back with a second-round knockout of Jeffrey Stella in his last fight on June 5, 2019.
Alberca is a winner of his last three contests.
The main event features the comeback of Magsayo (19-0, 14 KOs) as he takes on two-time world champion Pungluang Sor Singyu (56-3, 35 KOs) for the World Boxing Council (WBC) ABC and International Boxing Federation (IBF) Pan Pacific featherweight titles.
Also in the undercard, Danrick Sumabong (9-2, 8 KOs) faces off with Jonathan Francisco (10-11-1, 4 KOs), Powell Balaba (9-30-1, 5 KOs) slugs it out with Charlie Malupangue (8-4-3, 6 KOs), Franco Serafica (3-0, 1 KO) is fighting Jimboy Rosales (3-3-1, 2 KOs and Rafael Ciar (3-0) is up against Pablito Balidio (3-1-1). (EKA)