FILIPINO light-flyweight contender Bert Batawang will finally get his shot at a world crown.

According to Batawang’s manager and promoter Sammy Gello-ani, the Cebuano fighter is set to challenge International Boxing Federation (IBF) light-flyweight champion Ulises Solis of Mexico on October 4 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The bout was originally set for September 15 also in Las Vegas, but was postponed after the 26-year-old Solis (25-1-2, 19 knockouts) reportedly suffered a shoulder injury while training.

“Despite the several postponements of his US debut, I just told Batawang to prepare and be focused on his title shot because we are confident the fight will push through,” said Gello-ani in a long-distance call from Cebu.

The 35-year-old southpaw Batawang (50-6-1, 34 knockouts) was originally slated to fight in the Boxing World Cup tournament in an IBF title eliminator but was shelved after two qualified Mexican foes backed out because of injuries.

The twin postponements gave Gello-ani and his counterpart with Golden Boy Promotions (GBP), Sampson Lewkowicz, a contention that Batawang who has been religiously training in the United States should instead get an outright title shot.

Gello-ani who along with Cebu businessman Tony Aldeguer have an existing promotional tie-up with GBP, disclosed that the Solis camp asked for an optional title defense before facing Batawang.

“The IBF has now mandated Solis to defend his crown against Batawang which means it’s either the Mexican will stake his crown against Batawang or vacate the title,” added Gello-ani.

Solis’s last defense was against another Filipino Rodel Mayol whom the Mexican annihilated inside eight rounds last August in Rosemont, Illinois.

In another development, Gello-ani disclosed that talks are ongoing for one of their top wards Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista to stage a return to the ring this December at the Araneta Coliseum.

The 20-year-old Bautista is coming off a disastrous title bid, losing via a devastating first-round knockout to world super bantamweight champion  Daniel Ponce de Leon of Mexico in the main event of the Boxing World Cup on August 11 at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California.

Also being considered as part of the December gig at the Big Dome are one-time world title challenger Z Gorres, teen sensation AJ Banal and former world lightweight competitor Czar Amonsot.

Gorres is scheduled to vie in a WBO super-flyweight title eliminator on October 9 in Puerto Rico while Banal will contend for the WBO youth super-flyweight crown on September 30 at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu.

Amonsot, meanwhile, will undergo another set of medical tests in the coming days to determine his readiness to stage a comeback.

Amonsot lost a brutal 12-round verdict to WBO interim ruler Michael Katsidis of Australia last July in Las Vegas where the Filipino suffered a blood clot outside of his skull that suspended him indefinitely from fighting in the US.

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FILIPINO light-flyweight contender Bert Batawang will finally get his shot at a world crown.

According to Batawang’s manager and promoter Sammy Gello-ani, the Cebuano fighter is set to challenge International Boxing Federation (IBF) light-flyweight champion Ulises Solis of Mexico on October 4 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Mark Fernando and his cousin Anthony—both national team members—each carded two-under-par 68s, the same output churned in by the less-known Paul Echavez yesterday in the first round of the 2007 Philippine Amateur Golf Championship in Iloilo City.

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