Dennis Laurente defends his OPBF lightweight crown against Indonesia’s Ferdinan, who beat him by decision in a 10-rounder before a hometown crowd in Jakarta last year.
Fernando Sagrado goes for the WBA Pan Asia welterweight title against interim champion, Australian Jeff Malcolm, whose no-show in their title bout in Manila two years ago resulted in a lawsuit and the Australian’s one-year suspension.
The third bout pits Bobby Pacquiao, WBC world champion Manny Pacquiao’s younger brother, against Renato Inal of the Elorde stable.
The three-in-one boxing extravaganza is a grudge match of sorts between boxers who are seeking a crucial win to launch their respective world title campaigns.
Laurente is defending the crown he won by decision over champion Yosuke Otsuka of Japan on Nov. 23 last year, but he will have his hands full against Ferdinan, who decisioned him two months earlier, in August 2001, in Jakarta.
Sagrado believes he had the edge against Malcolm in their first title bout which did not materialize when his Australian opponent begged off at the last minute for no known reason during their scheduled bout in August, 2000.
On the other hand, the young Pacquiao is taking a separate path in his climb to boxing’s highest honor. Inspired by his brother’s success on the world stage and honed into a slugger by the L & M gym, he vows to pocket the RP junior lightweight championship as he steps up his drive for a world crown.
However, he will have a formidable challenger in Inal, who has the same goal in mind, making the duel also a prestige match between two boxing stables which have developed world champions in over a half century.
The title bouts, all 12-rounders and promoted by Johnny Elorde, start at 6 p.m.