FORMER World Boxing Organization (WBO) Asia-Pacific Youth bantamweight titleholder Carlo Demecillo looks to return to his winning ways and faces promising prospect Justine Darap for the vacant interim Philippine Boxing Federation (PBF) bantamweight strap on Oct. 21, 2023 in the main event of “Daluyong ng mga Kamao” at the Tacloban Convention Center Astrodome in Tacloban City.
“This will be a good fight because Darap is tough. I trust that Carlo will win because he had a good training camp,” Big Yellow Boxing Gym head trainer Christopher “Ping-Ping” Tepora, Demecillo’s trainer, told SunStar Cebu.
“I’m confident that we will win, either by knockout or a convincing decision.”
The 27-year-old Demecillo is eager to bounce back after losing his last two fights. He lost to Jun Ikegawa by split decision and to Kaito Yamasaki by technical decision.
Like Demecillo, Darap also dropped his last two bouts. The 25-year-old Calbayog City native was defeated by one-time world title challenger Aran Dipaen by technical decision in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) Pan Pacific super flyweight fight and to RV Deniega via a third round stoppage.
Demecillo tipped the scales at 117.5 pounds, while Darap was a bit lighter at 117.3 pounds.
Demecillo is 16-8-2 with nine knockouts, while Darap is 11-4 with seven knockouts.
Tepora’s other fighter, Reycar Auxilio, is seeing action in the co-main feature. Auxilio is taking on hometown hero Jimmy Cannu for the interim PBF super bantamweight belt. Auxilio is eager to bounce back after losing to Angelo Beltran by a second round knockout in his last fight. Cannu, in the meantime, settled to a majority draw with Dannel Maamo in his previous outing.
Auxilio is 4-3 with three knockouts, while Cannu is 4-1-1 with a knockout.
In the undercard, Jufil Salina (8-5-1, 7 KOs) faces off with veteran Monico Laurente (30-19, 17 KOs), Jessie Cris Rosales (23-5-1, 10 KOs) locks horns with Japanese Mioto Noguchi (4-2, 4 KOs), Jeffrey Basil (3-2-1, 2 KOs) is up against Ariel Antonio (2-3-1), Ivory Lastrilla (12-14-1, 7 KOs) slugs it out with Jason Dogelio (10-8, 3 KOs), Louie Jay Albino (2-3) faces off with Arjhay Recto (2-3), Noel Gabiana makes his pro debut against fellow newcomer Jessie Delgado, Joshua Solis (1-1, 1 KO) battles Norman Marvin Rusiana (1-4-1), France Formentera is fighting his first pro bout against Devid Boy Maderable (0-0-1), Ronald Bulacan (1-0, 1 KO) squares off with Christian Tiburon (0-2) and Japanese youngster Kotaro Nishizaki takes on Jasper Hopkins.