Manny Pacquiao Back to Promotional Duties for Aug 24 WBO Interim World Title Bout

Boxing legend and Senator Manny Pacquiao returns to the Philippines on August 24 as he takes a timeout from breaking records inside the ring to promote a world title bout.

‘Pacman’ who delivered a stunning performance against the previously undefeated Keith Thurman in July, is staging the fight under MP Promotions alongside Sean Gibbons.

The welterweight titleholder will host a mouth-watering showdown between two-division king John Riel Casimero and Mexico’s Cesar Ramirez in Manila.

The Filipino won the WBO Interim Bantamweight strap in his most recent fight after inflicting a KO defeat to Ricardo Espinoza. Casimero, a fellow compatriot of Pacquiao, knows a victory will see him become mandatory challenger to WBO titlist Zolani Teti. ‘Quadro Alas’ has won three successive contests since returning to the ring in 2018. He has won IBF world titles at light-flyweight and flyweight, respectively.

The 29-year-old started preparation with eight-weight ruler Pacquiao in LA. He is currently training at the MP Stable in Davao City under Nonoy Neri. Casimero aims to continue his charge on the bantamweight division. He faces a stern test in Ramirez, though, who is ranked inside the top 10 of the WBO rankings. Since tasting defeat to former unified world champion Ryan Burnett, the Mexican is on a six-fight winning streak, with five inside the distance.

The Manny Pacquiao Championship Boxing event will see another intriguing duel at 118lbs as Vincent Astrolabio takes on Kevin Aseniero. The bout is an all-Filipino battle for the WBO Oriental belt in the co-feature of the evening. This is a show not to miss and it all goes down on August 24 at the San Andres Sports Complex in Manila on August 24.

Via worldboxingnews.com

By Joe Koizumi

February 21, 2017
KUMAMOTO, JAPAN
WBO#1 minimum Moises Calleros (25-6-1, 14 KOs) from Mexico arrived yesterday (Monday) in Kumamoto City, Japan, where he will dispute the interim WBO 105-pound championship with local prospect Tatsuya Fukuhara (18-4-6, 7 KOs) on this coming Sunday.

In the begining, the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) won’t accept an Interim Title bout to take place here in Japan, but the legitimate WBO champ Katsunari Takayama had his notorious scar tissues operated last year and needs more time for recovery, so the Calleros-Fukuhara interim title bout received a special permission of the JBC.

The lefty fighter from Japan, Fukuhara acquired the vacant national 105-pound belt by defeating Hiroya Yamamoto in November 2015 and kept his belt three times by beating Takumi Sakae (W10), Genki Hanai (TKO7) and being held to a technical draw with veteran Shin Ono.

Calleros, with the same age as Fukuhara at 27, recently scored five victories in a row since his KO defeat at the hand of Samuel Gutierrez in 2014. The winner is supposed to have a long-anticipated shot at the full champ Takayama upon his recuperation, the WBO has put the time of a 180 days for the Interim Champion faces the WBO Minimumweight Champion Katsunari Takayama.
(2-21-2017)