Suico to battle ex-IBF champ

Reigning Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation super featherweight champion Randy "Kumong Bato" Suico embarks on what is by far the toughest challenge in his career when he takes on former International Boxing Federation lightweight champion Javier Jauregui of Mexico on September 17 at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Suico-Jauregui rumble scheduled for 10 rounds is one of the undercards of the World Boxing Council and IBF super featherweight title defense of Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera against Australian 'Bomber" Robbie Peden.

Veteran Cebuano trainer Jun Ablaca, Suico's chief strategist, considers Jauregui a dangerous opponent and a perilous thorn in Suico's path towards world championship glory.

"This fight is certainly a big test for Suico if he really has all what it takes to become a world champion in the future. He should show all what he's got against Jauregui, said Ablaca in dialect.

Ablaca and Suico have just arrived from a 10-day stint in Japan, where Suico sparred against OPBF lightweight title-holder Chikashi Inada of Japan at Tokyo's Teiken Gym owned by influential Japanese boxingman Akihiko Honda.

If the 25-year-old Suico would get past Jauregui, Ablaca said their next target is to challenge Barrera as promised by their Japanese handler Joe Koizumi.

"Koizumi assured us that if Suico will win against Jauregui, he will work things out for Suico to be able to challenge Barrera," said Ablaca. "But if Koizumi won't get that Barrera fight, he plans to let Suico move up in the lightweight division," Ablaca added.

Suico, presently ranked No.4 super featherweight contender by the WBC behind Erik Morales, Jesus Chavez and Manny Pacquiao, wields a shining 23-1 win-loss record spiked with 20KOs since entering the pro backyard in 1998.

Suico's first and only loss, so far, was dealt by South African Mzonke Fana via controversial decision in their WBC elimination bout in May last year in Johannesburg.

This will only be the second time that Suico will strut his stuff in the US. The first was last September 13, 2002 at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas where the Mandaue City-native punisher stopped Mexican Juan Carlos Garcia in the fourth round.

In his previous bout on April 27, 2005 at the Lapu-Lapu City Sports Complex, Suico hammered Thai Muangfahlek Kiatwhichean into fourth round submission for his fourth successful defense of the OPBF title he won in 2001.

On the other hand, Jauregui parades a 49-12-1 win-loss-draw ledger packed with 32 stoppages in his 17-year pro career.

Jauregui won the vacant IBF lightweight championship after stopping American Leavander Johnson in the 11th round on November 22, 2003 at the Olympic Auditorium in LA. He reigned only for six months as he was stipped of his by Julio Diaz via majority decision at the Sports Arena in San Diego, California.

Meanwhile, in a show of his unflinching commitment to help Suico become a world champion someday, Koizumi has re-signed the Cebuano hard-puncher for five more years. Thus, Suico will stay under the aegis of Koizumi until 2010.