Vitor, Tagacanao headline double championship show

CEBU, Philippines — Bohol’s hometown pride Virgel “Valiente” Vitor and the “Cebuano Assassin” Remart Taganao will strut their wares against separate foes in a double championship show highlighting the 14th installment of the highly successful “Kumong Bol-anon” boxing series of PMI Bohol Promotions today, March 8, at the Saulog Gym in Tagbilaran City.

Vitor (21-3, 14KOs) will try to regain the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Oriental super featherweight belt against Korean Tae Sun Kim (11-1-2, 8KOs).

The 26-year-old Vitor once held the WBO Oriental 130-pound crown after destroying Thai Arnon Yupang in just two rounds in September 2022 in Dimiao, Bohol.

After scoring another second round KO against Korean Dong Kwan Lee in his first defense three months later in Calape, Vitor voluntarily abdicated his WBO throne when he clinched the World Boxing Council (WBC) Asian Silver super featherweight title with a smashing second-round stoppage of Thai Campee Phayom on May 25 last year at the Spaceplus Bangkok RCA in Thailand.

Vitor and Kim were originally set to exchange blows in the ring last December but the match was reset to a later date as Vitor sustained an injury during a training session.

In the co-main event, the Carcar City-native Tagacanao will trade leathers with Indonesia’s Hamson Lamandau for the World Boxing Association (WBA) Asia super flyweight strap.

Fighting out of Mandaue City’s Villamor Gym under the tutelage of former two-time world title challenger Edito “ALA” Villamor, Tagacanao totes a perfect 7-0 record with 6KOs. He is up against the 29-year-old Lamandau, his three years seniors, who has a 12-5-1 slate with 9KOs.

In another featured match of the eight-bout fisticuffs, the undefeated WBO Asia-Pacific Youth minimumweight champion Christian Balunan (9-0, 5KOs),  who is rated No.15 in the world, will face an acid test against the dangerous veteran Clyde “Pogi” Azarcon (17-9-1, 6KOs) of Cebu City’s Big Yellow Stable. – EBV