By REY DANSECO
Unbeaten WBC number 11 contender Balweg “Hitman” Bangoyan of the Philippines has cancelled his scheduled WBC International super bantamweight title defense next month after he was picked to take a crack in a world championship.
Since he learned the news on Thursday, Feb. 18, Bangoyan (15-0, 7 KOs) has been waiting for the fight contract that will assure his title shot against reigning WBC super bantamweight champion Toshiaki Nishioka (35-4-3, 22 KOs) in the last week of April show of Akihiko Honda of Teiken Promotions in Tokyo, Japan.
The 23-year old Filipino has logged in 135 rounds of sparring this week in preparation for his anticipated bout against Korean challenger Jong-Won Won on March 2 in Digos City in southern Philippines.
With this development, the respected WBC International championship chairman Mauro Betti of Rome, Italy poses to declared the division vacant as soon as he received a copy of the Nishioka-Bangoyan fight deal.
Nishioka will put his title for the first time after defending his title thrice as many bouts last year against Genaro Garcia (TKO 12) in Yokohama; Jhonny Gonzalez (TKO 3) in Mexico; and Ivan Hernandez (TKO 3) in Tokyo.
The Japanese southpaw, who will turn 34 years old in July, beat all his Filipino foes, except Fernando Montilla who figured in a draw over 10 rounds in 1997. Nishioka’s Filipino victims included Reynaldo Rojo, Donaldo Estella, Joel Junio, Joel Avila, Rodel Llanita and Pederito Laurente (twice).
Bangoyan, a protégé of Mayor Zander Khan (aka Alex Wangkay) of Jose Abad Santos town in southern Philippine province of Davao del Sur, is coming off in regaining his WBC International title via a hard-earned majority decision win against the tough Raymond “Foreman” Sermona last September in Manila.
Bangoyan has entered the WBC ranking for the first time after he dethroned the bigger Sande Otieno of Kenya with technical decision win in round 5 in October 2008 in Davao City.
But the the gentleman from Rome, Betti, applied the rules and then stripped Bangoyan due to his failure of putting it on the line in required period sometime mid of last year.
“I’m so happy that Mr. Betti gave me a chance to regain my international title and now I’m so thankful that our WBC president Jose Sulaiman has given me chance to become a world champion,” said Bangoyan, who still make an appearance in the March 2 card. He will see action in “exhibition bout”.
Khan, who once served as agent of Gerry Penalosa and Morris East when they won the WBC titles in Tokyo, said the Nishioka-Bangoyan championship fight might takes place on April 25 at the historic Korakuen Hall.
NISHIOKA
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