YOUNG unbeaten prospect KJ Cataraja believes he’s done fighting nobodies and wants to challenge no other than the top dog in the super flyweight division - Juan Francisco Estrada.
“I hope I can get a title shot,” the 24-year-old Tabuelan, Cebu native told SunStar Cebu. “I want Estrada.”
Cataraja, once a decorated amateur in the national scene, just scored a third round stoppage against experienced Crison Omayao in the main event of ALA on Tour - “PMI Pride 6” at the PMI Colleges Taloto Campus in Tagbilaran City, Bohol on Monday night, Sept. 23, 2019.
Cataraja dropped Omayao, a former Philippine champion, in the opening round with an uppercut and finished him off in the third round with a right straight.
Cataraja improved to 11-0 with nine knockouts, while Omayao dropped to 24-21-5 with eight knockouts.
Though Cataraja’s biggest win was just against a Mexican prospect in Victor Hugo Reyes, he believes that he’s ready for Estrada - the current World Boxing Council super flyweight titleholder and the lineal champion in the 115-pound division.
Cataraja is even willing to step foot in enemy territory just to get his title shot.
“I can do that (go to Mexico),” he said. “I want him because he has a name and he has beaten a lot of Filipinos. If given the chance to fight him, I’ll be the underdog. But I want to prove myself to everybody.”
Cataraja is currently ranked No. 10 in the World Boxing Organization (WBO), wherein Japanese Kazuto Ioka is the current titleholder. He’s not rated in the World Boxing Council (WBC), which means he’ll have to be handpicked by Estrada or work his way up in the WBC rankings by fighting for a regional belt to get his title shot.
Meanwhile, Christian Bacolod, Fil-Japanese Go Hosaka and Regie Suganob all won their fights in the “PMI Pride 6” undercard.
Bacolod (12-0, 9 KOs) made quick work of Michael Camelion (10-13-2, 8 KOs) with an opening round technical knockout, Hosaka (4-0, 3 KOs) ended Kim Lindog’s (5-8-1, 4 KOs) night in the third round and Suganob (3-0, 1 KO) remained undefeated with a unanimous decision over previously unbeaten John Paul Gabunilas (2-1, 1 KO). (EKA)