AFTER sparring with world champions in the past, promising prospect Reymart Tagacanao once again gets a much-needed experience after being picked up by three-division world champion Kosei Tanaka as his sparring partner.
Tagacanao sparred with Tanaka this week at the ZIP Boxing and Wellness Center in Banawa, Brgy. Guadalupe, Cebu City. He has sparred with former world champions Donnie Nietes, Milan Melindo and Melvin Jerusalem in the past.
“This is good for Makoy (Tagacanao), that he experiences sparring with a three-division world champion. This will give him a lot of self confidence,” Villamor Boxing Gym head coach Edito Villamor, Tagacanao’s coach, told SunStar Cebu.
Tanaka is currently in Cebu City, training for an upcoming fight with Christian Rangel for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) super flyweight belt on Feb. 24, 2024 in Tokyo, Japan.
The 24-year-old Tagacanao, called the “Cebuano Assassin,” is also deep in training for an upcoming fight in PMI Bohol Boxing Promotions’ “Kumong Bol-anon XIV” on March 8 in Bohol.
Tagacanao is fighting for the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) Asia super flyweight strap against Indonesian Hamson Lamandau.
Tagacanao had an impressive year in 2023, wherein he won all four of his fights in impressive fashion. He started out last year with a first round knockout of Isagani Saludar and followed it up with another quick first round stoppage of Ruel Julian. Tagacanao, a native of Carcar City, faced his most experienced opponent on July 22, 2023 against former world title challenger Vergilio Silvano. He dominated Silvano and beat him by a convincing unanimous decision.
Tagacanao ended 2023 with a bang after knocking out Jason Mopon in the eighth round on Nov. 4, 2023.
The 29-year-old Lamandau returned to the ring last year after a two-year hiatus. He scored a third round technical knockout of previously unbeaten Paulus Rasi in the third round in Indonesia.
Lamandau fought for a regional belt twice and a youth world title once.
In 2017, Lamandau lost to Hinata Maruta by a sixth round knockout in a World Boxing Council (WBC) Youth bantamweight title match. He also fought and lost to Brock Jarvis and Supraserd Ponpitak in regional title fights.
Tagacanao is 7-0 with six knockouts, while Lamandau is 12-5-1 with nine knockouts.
“Kumong Bol-anon XIV” is headlined by Virgel Vitor (21-3, 14 KOs) defending his WBO Oriental super featherweight title against South Korean Tae Sun Kim (11-1-2, 8 KOs). / EKA