Overweight Czar Amonsot stripped of his WBO crown

Czar Amonsot's first defense of his World Boxing Organization (WBO) Asia Pacific super featherweight title turned into a disaster.

Amonsot (17-1-1, 10KOs) is supposed to defend his WBO regional belt against Thai challenger Simson Butar Butar (14-5-1, 10KOs) today, but the Boholano boxer already lost his crown even before he could throw a punch for failing to comply with the required weight limit.

While Butar Butar easily made weight at 128 pounds, Amonsot scaled in five pounds over the contracted 130-pound limit in yesterday's official weigh-in at the Island City Mall atrium in Tagbilaran City.

Amonsot tried to shed excess poundage, but his efforts proved futile.

"Amonsot tried so hard to reduce weight, but he really couldn't make it," said Amonsot's trainer Edito "ALA" Villamor. "He's growing up. Maybe, he's just too big in his division."

Though he's already stripped of his title, Amonsot is still aching to get even with his Thai tormentor when they slug it out in the main event of the "Fight for Revenge" card starting at 7:00 tonight at the ICM carpark.

Under OPBF rules, the title would be held vacant if Amonsot emerged victorious.

In the event Butar Butar wins, the Thai visitor will take home the WBO AsPac belt.

But Amonsot, by hook or by crook, will not allow Butar Butar to do that before the eyes of his hometown fans, more so that he hopes to have a fitting send-off prior to campaigning in the lightweight ranks.

There's no better way for Amonsot to achieve that than to pull off a sweet revenge against Butar Butar, who inflicted his first and only defeat so far via fifth round stoppage during their first encounter in February last year in Thailand.

In the supporting main event of the action-packed show presented by SGG Promotions in partnership with the city government of Tagbilaran headed by Mayor Dan Neri Lim, rising ALA star AJ "Bazooka" Banal will take on undefeated Thai champion Sing Carryboy.

The clash of unbeaten fighters featuring Banal and Sing Carryboy will surely add fireworks to the slambang event that is of huge interest to the Boholano boxing fanatics.

Banal (9-0-1, 8KOPs) won all his six bouts this year capped by a fifth round stoppage of Indonesian super flyweight champion Ali Rochmad in the Sandugo slugfest last July 22 in Tagbilaran.

Carryboy, a two-time Thai flyweight title holder, couldn't be taken lightly. He is unscathed in 11 fight with nine wins by knockout.

The other ring talents to watch out for are welterweight prospect Mark Jason Melliguen, who was recently declared as "Adopted Son" of Tagbilaran together with AJ Banal, and former amateur standout Joseph Omaña of Mandaue City.

Melliguen, who swept his first three matches as a pro via knockout, tries to keep his hot streak when he trade mitts with Thai Michael Tarsius, while Omaña takes on Richard Cablay of Cagayan de Oro City in a eight-rounder bantamweight duel.

The rest of the must-see bouts pit Bohol's upcoming pugs Glen Masicampo, Arnel Tadena, Ricky Sismundo, Nic Banal and Leon Maratas against Melvin Ayudtud, Allan Dugang, Frank Albia, Jing Supremo and Markyll Taroja, respectively.