4 Pinoy pugs eye crack at world belts

MANILA, Philippines - Four Filipinos are eyeing to win their respective fights on July 31 at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig in the hope of getting a shot at a probable world championship.

Silvester Lopez, Ryan Bito, Warlito Parrenas and Jonathan Tacuning headline a triple main event that stakes three World Boxing Council (WBC) International titles in different weight divisions.

Lopez stakes his WBC International super-flyweight crown against Wandee Singwangcha of Thailand, while Bito challenges another Thai in WBC International flyweight champion Sooksan Caichan Sanmuangloie in the boxing card promoted by Elorde International Productions in coordination with Gov. Casimiro Ynares III.

In an all-Filipino clash, Parrenas and Tacuning fight for the vacant WBC International light flyweight championship.

Previously, WBC International title fights featured boxers ranked 11th and below, a ruling later modified by the 47-year old boxing body.

“Mr. (Jose) Sulaiman, the WBC president, always makes it a point that winners in WBC International title fights be given the chance to challenge for a regular world title,” said Elorde at the PSA Forum at Shakey’s in UN Avenue, where he personally accompanied the four Filipino pugs seeing action in the boxing card.

Of the four Filipinos, Lopez has the most formidable foe in Singwangcha, a former WBC International flyweight champion ranked No. 5 by the boxing body as a flyweight.

The Thai veteran has won 63 of his 75 fights, 15 of them by way of knockout, lost 11 of them and has one draw under his name. Two of his losses came at the hands of Filipino Marvin Sonsona, the former World Boxing Organization (WBO) super-bantamweight champion, and reigning WBC super-flyweight titlist Vic Darchinyan.