Triple mainer in ‘Fists of Fury’ tonight

Big-time boxing returns to the Casino Filipino in Parañaque tonight as three main events spice up promoter Gabriel (Bebot) Elorde’s blockbuster card. World Boxing Council (WBC) International flyweight champion Randy Mangubat battles Malcolm Tuñacao, WBC International lightflyweight titlist Juanito Rubillar faces Takahiko Mizuno of Japan, and WBC International bantamweight ruler Ricky Gayamo meets Philippine king Abner Cordero in scheduled 12-round bouts that, Elorde assures, will spark fireworks.

Mangubat, 25, is known for his durability and has won his last five outings. Twice, he went the distance with WBC flyweight champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam who blitzed Tuñacao in a single round last March. He also took WBC superflyweight titlist Masamori Tokuyama, who defends his crown against Gerry Peñalosa in Yokohama on Sept. 24, to the limit in 1998.

It’s make or break for Tuñacao who hasn’t fought since losing the WBC diadem to Pongsaklek and is ranked No. 2. He’s been guaranteed a crack to regain the WBC title–on condition he beats Mangubat.

Tuñacao, 23, is confident of pulverizing Mangubat who’s lost only once inside the distance, to Monie de Guia, in his second pro fight seven years ago. But he can’t be too sure. Mangubat is as tough as nails and packs a wallop, too. He won the WBC International title via a first round disposal of Jong Kwan Kim last October and would like nothing better than to adorn his trophy room with Tunacao’s scalp.

Tunacao boasts an 11-1-1 record, with seven KOs, compared to Mangubat’s 26-15-10, with 11 KOs.

Rubillar, 24, is close to a mandatory shot at the WBC 108-pound title as the No. 2 contender. He once fought for a world crown, losing on points to Zolani Petelo in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight title fight in England in 1999, but bounced back to win eight in a row. The setback to Petelo was a bitter pill to swallow as Petelo, battered and bruised, looked more like the loser after the fight. Rubillar said he won’t blow a second chance to win a world crown–but he’s got to get past Mizuno first.

Mizuno, 30, turned pro in 1995, a year after Rubillar, and has compiled a 13-4-1 record, with five KOs. In 1998, he beat Filipino Flash Simbajon on points and drew with another Filipino, Rocky Palma. Mizuno has never been stopped. A body puncher, he lost a close decision to Takayuji Korogi in a Japanese lightflyweight title fight last April–Mizuno rocked Korogi with body shots and staggered him with a straight right-left hook combination in the final round but failed to finish him off.

Rubillar has won his last eight fights, 13 of his last 14. His record is 24-7-5, with six KOs.

What could steal the show is the Gayamo-Cordero grudge rematch. In their first meeting, Cordero survived two knockdowns to stop Gayamo in a dramatic 12th round stoppage to wrest the Philippine bantamweight title in Angeles City last October.

Gayamo, 26, won the WBC International crown on a sixth round knockout over Jovi Chan Halog in Baguio City last January. Before losing to Cordero, he’d won nine straight fights.

Cordero, 23, has won his last eight fights, five by KO, to improve his record to 22-7-1, with 15 KOs. Gayamo’s mark is 25-14-2, with 10 KOs.

Elorde says the WBC International crown guarantees the titleholder a spot in the top 10 ratings and makes him eligible for a crack at the world championship. It was Manny Pacquiao’s ticket back to the top. Pacquiao was the WBC International superbantamweight king when he got the nod to fight Lehlo Ledwaba for the IBF crown.

No wonder Elorde predicts a slam-bang show tonight.