Lunas out to dethrone WBA king

It won’t be easy sailing for Rolly (Matsushita) Lunas to dethrone WBA bantamweight champion Anselmo (Chemito) Moreno of Panama but if there’s a challenger who can defy the odds in winning on hostile soil, the gutsy Filipino fits the bill.

Lunas, 24, takes on Moreno in a 12-round title bout at the Figali Convention Center in Panama City on Oct. 30. It will be Moreno’s second defense since wresting the crown from Wladimir Sidorenko in Germany last May.

Fighting on foreign territory is nothing new to Lunas who is unbeaten in his last seven outings, six in Japan. In 2003, he scored a majority 12-round decision over Khunsuk Lukprabat in Samut Sakhon, Thailand, to claim the vacant PABA flyweight diadem. In Tokyo last year, Lunas beat Malcolm Tunacao on a majority technical decision in the 10th round to capture the OPBF bantamweight belt.

In all, Lunas has compiled a 25-6-1 record, with 14 KOs (five in the first round) since turning pro in 2000. His only knockout loss was to Noriyuki Komatsu in 2003 and his last defeat was a decision to Michael Domingo three years ago.

Moreno, 23, has a 23-1 record, with eight KOs. His only setback came in 2002, a split four-round decision to Ricardo Molina whom he has since defeated twice.

Lunas is contractually tied up to international matchmaker Jun Sarreal but now fights for the Matsushita stable of Kanazawa, Japan, under manager Naoyuki Kashimi and trainer Mack Kunihara.

Sarreal, who guided Lunas to the Philippine and PABA championships, said he gave up his managerial rights when the fighter moved to Japan two years ago.

“It’s a big gamble for Rolly to fight in Panama,” said Sarreal. “But it’s a chance of a lifetime. Even if he has to give up his OPBF title, this is his big opportunity. It’s a voluntary defense so I can understand why the champion isn’t fighting Lunas in Japan.”

Sarreal said Lunas isn’t a one-punch knockout artist but has the guts to pull off an upset.

“Rolly isn’t afraid of anyone in the ring,” continued Sarreal. “But I think if it goes the distance, there’s only a slim chance he can win the decision. His hope is to knock out Moreno. It’s a long shot. What’s going for Rolly is his heart. He’s tough and very brave. He’s used to fighting abroad but it’s different in South America where I lived for two years.”

In 2005, Lunas put up a courageous stand in losing a decision to Hawk Makepula for the WBC International superflyweight title in South Africa. Although Lunas was the clear loser, he gained the admiration of the fans for a valiant effort. “The incredibly tough Filipino seemed to fight back more savagely each time he was rocked,” wrote Pete Moscardi at ringside. “Makepula made a supreme try to end the fight in the ninth. I counted 14 solid uppercuts that jerked Lunas’ head. Yet Lunas simply stuck his tongue out at the bell.”

Sarreal said Lunas is handicapped by a congenital stomach problem that sometimes leads to cramps.

“I took Rolly to several specialists and he was diagnosed to be suffering from an in-born condition which makes him vulnerable to stomach cramps after three to five rounds,” said Sarreal. “There’s no cure for it and I’m hoping that since Rolly moved to Japan, he has overcome the problem. The GAB even recommended a doctor to check him out.”

The youngest of seven children, Lunas was a high school sophomore when he joined the Palarong Pambansa and won the boxing championship. Early in his pro career, Lunas took the flyweight crown in the ABS-CBN TV series “Knockout.” He progressed from winning the Philippine title to the PABA championship and later, the OPBF crown. Now, as the WBC No. 3 and WBA No. 6 contender, he has a chance to go all the way to the top.

In his first title defense, Moreno turned back Mexico’s Cecilio Santos on a technical decision after an accidental headbutt caused a stoppage in the seventh round last month.  

In boxing history, only two Filipinos faced Panamanians in world title fights. In 1976, Erbito Salavarria was halted by Panama’s Alfonso Lopez in a WBA flyweight championship bout in Manila. In 1986, Dodie Boy Peñalosa lost on points to Panama’s Hilario (Sugar) Zapata in a WBA flyweight title match in Manila. Last July, Panama’s Rafael Concepcion stopped A. J. Banal in Cebu but it was for the interim, not regular WBA superflyweight crown.