Laurente faces tormentor in OPBF title bout tonite

Revenge will be on Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) lightweight champion Dennis Laurente’s mind when he stakes his crown against Indonesian challenger Ferdinando Andriano–known as Ferdinan–in a scheduled 12-round bout at the Casino Filipino in Parañaque tomorrow.

Laurente, 24, lost to Ferdinan on points in Jakarta last year. The setback was the first stain in Laurente’s record. Two earlier defeats to Ramy Dumpa and Ulysses Puzon were not recognized by the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) because they were unregistered fights.

It was a tough setback for Laurente. Ferdinan proved too slick and slippery for the Magallanes, Agusan del Norte, fighter who lost his self-confidence so much so that in his next fight, he had little to show in bowing to Prawet Singwangcha of Thailand.

But Laurente eventually regained his form. Coming from back-to-back losses, he floored Yosuke Otsuka thrice enroute to scoring a unanimous 12-round decision for the OPBF 135-pound crown in Nagoya last November.

Clearly, Laurente has an axe to grind against Ferdinan. He’s looking to gain the Indonesian’s respect. He’s out for revenge. A decisive win is his objective.

Unlike in their first bout, Laurente said he will start strong, just like Manny Pacquiao in bowling over Jorge Eliecer Julio in Memphis last Saturday. His plan is to crowd Ferdinan from the onset, cut off the ring, and pin him against the ropes. He won’t give the Indonesian a chance to breathe.

"Nakita ko yung ginawa ni Manny kay Julio," said Laurente. "Gagawin ko ‘yon kay Ferdinan." Laurente promised to put the pressure on Ferdinan from the opening bell and maintain a high level of aggressiveness. It will be a war, he said.

Ferdinan, 23, wouldn’t predict the outcome, leaving his fate to Allah. He said he has a 50-50 chance to beat Laurente. Defense is his edge, he added, because of his simon-pure background. Ferdinan explained that he mastered the art of dodging, precision punching, and weaving in the amateurs.

Ferdinan’s manager Daniel Bahari, a TV mogul who promotes two fight cards a week in Jakarta, said his boy is prepared for battle. "Last April, Ferdinan lost to Prawet," said Bahari. "No complaints. Prawet won fair and square. It was painful for Ferdinan because he lost in front of his countrymen. But that made him work harder in the gym. Now, he’s angry. He wants to bounce back."

Ferdinan’s record is 15-1-1, with 10 KOs, compared to Laurente’s 17-2-2, with 10 KOs.

In other fights, Australian veteran Jeff Malcolm meets Fernando Sagrado for the Pan Asian Boxing Association (PABA) welterweight title and Bobby Pacquiao takes on Renato Inal for the vacant Philippine junior lightweight crown. Seven other bouts complete the 70-round show which starts promptly at 5 p.m.

Tickets are priced from P200 to P2,000. Sponsors are PAGCOR, Land Bank, Department of Tourism, Family Rubbing Alcohol, Bai and Mig Party Favors, Elorde Sports Center, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, San Miguel Beer, and Elorde Sporting Goods.