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Randy Suico may not challenge for the World
Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight title in Las Vegas
after all.
This
after international promoter Rex “Wakee” Salud told the
BusinessMirror that world champion David Diaz already
has an opponent signed up for March 15 fight.
“It is
still a long shot as I just learned there is already an
opponent for Diaz. But Top Rank told me to make Randy
available should there be changes,” said Salud.
 Interviewed
by Sports Radio‘s Sports Chat yesterday morning, Suico
said he was informed by his Japanese manager Joe Koizumi
that talks are ongoing for him to battle Diaz beneath
the WBC super-featherweight title fight between champion
Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico and challenger Manny
Pacquiao.
“My
manager called up the other day and told me to prepare
for Diaz and he sounded like it is almost a done deal,”
said Suico “I’m ready for it as I have started training
for several weeks now.”
A report
came out from the popular Pacquiao web site Pacland
about Suico’s supposed world title opportunity.
Suico
said he just came from a two-week sparring session with
undefeated World Boxing Association (WBA)
super-featherweight champion Edwin Valero, the brassy
knockout artist from Venezuela.
The
BusinessMirror caught promoter Bob Arum but gave no
definite answer to Suico’s reported title challenge as
the well-known boxing impresario just came from a
vacation.
“Maybe
that is why Wakee has been calling me. But I don’t think
Suico will be David’s opponent though I still have to
talk with my matchmaker on that matter,” said Arum.
Arum
will be a guest via phone patch in this morning’s Sports
Chat at dzSR Sports Radio to clear the matter.
Suico,
meanwhile, said Koizumi told him he is being considered
as a sparring partner for Pacquiao.
“I
welcome that because it will not just give me a chance
to help out Manny but will also prepare me for Diaz
because both of them are southpaws,” said Suico “I’ve
never had the chance of fighting a southpaw. My manager
said I will probably spar with Manny for one month.”
The
28-year-old Suico lost in his only world title challenge
in July 2006. The lanky Suico bowed to WBA kingpin Juan
“The Baby Bull” Diaz via a ninth-round technical
knockout at the
MGM Grand Garden
in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Suico
came back from that loss by winning the vacant Oriental
and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) lightweight crown
and has since defended it twice. He has a record of
27-3, with 23 knockouts.
Meanwhile, several other Filipino fighters are
reportedly being backed by influential promoters to be
included in the Marquez-Pacquiao undercard.
The
names of world-rated light-flyweight Juanito Rubillar
and Boholano youngster Ciso Morales have been floated as
possible undercard fighters.
The
March blockbuster is being promoted by Arum’s Top Rank
Inc. in cooperation with Golden Boy Promotions.
One-time
world title challenger Glenn Donaire, older brother of
world flyweight champion Nonito, is slated to fight
former world champion Hugo Cazares in a nontitle
light-flyweight encounter. The Donaire-Cazares bout was
revealed by Donaire’s California-based father Nonito Sr.
in an overseas interview with the BusinessMirror. |
