Villanueva faces acid test in IBO title match today

CEBU, Philippines - Lorenzo "Thunderbolt" Villanueva is an undefeated ring gladiator armed with sledge-hammer fists. Testament to that, he dished out 23 knockouts from his streak of 24 victories with 16 of his opponents not lasting beyond two rounds. That's how brutal and frightening a puncher he is.

But inspite of his sparkling credential, the 26-year-old Villanueva has yet to prove he's a classy fighter worthy of recognition on the international stage.

That will be known today when the orphan from Midsayap, North Cotabato trades fistic bombs with Indonesian power-hitter Daud Cino Yordan in a 12-round rumble for the vacant IBO featherweight title at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

Villanueva, who is managed by former North Cotabato Governor Manny Piñol with ALA Promotions helping chart his career, is coming off back-to-back first round KO wins, the most recent was against Diego Ledesma last January 28 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.

The 24-year-old Yordan is equally-impressive with his 28-2 record spiked with 22KOs. He scored a fourth round stoppage of Australian Frankie Archuleta to clinch the IBO Asia-Pacific featherweight crown the last time he fought on November 30 last year at the Challenge Stadium in Mt. Claremont, Western Australia.

Fans, thus, could look forward to an explosive showdown between the two promising warriors with devastating punching powers.

Surprisingly though, Villanueva told philboxing.com in yesterday's press conference that he was not looking for a knockout and that all he wants to do is win the fight in whatever manner it takes.

Yordan spoke with the same mellow tone, saying that “he had fought some of the best fighters of the division” and “he was treating this fight as just another fight.”

They may be cordial and has nothing but kind words for each other, but one could expect fireworks as both will surely let their fists do the taling when they collide inside the squared arena.

Villanueva's trainer Bruce Lerio, for his part, noted that "Yordan does not possess a one-punch knockout power and if Villanueva can withstand Yordan's volume of punches, he will take the Indonout from the inside."

In the other feature of the first ever double-championship boxing show in the Lion City, the unbeaten WBA featherweight super champion Chris John will stake everything what he's got against Japanese challenger Shoji Kimura. - THE FREEMAN