CONTINGENTS from all over Asia and the Pacific, and as far as Hawaii have started taking their flights for the three-day Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation convention that will start on Wednesday at the El Fisher Hotel in Bacolod City.
Attending the convention are Hubert Minn, head of the World Boxing Council’s ring officials, and wife Pam, who have just boarded a Philippine-bound flight at the Honolulu Airport.
“Getting ready and excited for the convention in Bacolod,” he posted on his social media account.
Minn will conduct seminars on the newly introduced 3D system of scoring for hundreds of judges and referees from OPBF member countries like Japan, South Korea, China, and of course, the Philippines.
Filipino judges are some of the most highly appreciated ring officials for their skills and vast knowledge of the combat sport of boxing. This corner, a licensed MMA and boxing judge, will join the seminar to continuously improve the know-how passed on to me since I was a kid by my father, a former Golden Gloves champion himself and a professional boxer.
The moves, techniques and tricks I learned from him have made me more adept and analytical in judging and scoring a boxing match.
Hubert’s revolutionary scoring system, which will be explained and discussed further during the convention, will definitely be a big boost as the professional world of boxing tries hard to further increase its distance from amateur boxing.
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Aside from the judging seminar, what excites the contingents and guests that include WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman, are the triple-championship fight card that will spice up the affair on its final day on Friday.
Carlo Magali, whose last fight was a masterful KO win over a highly rated Australian, will dispute the superfeatherweight interim title with Bacolod pride Mark Gil Melligen.
Rey Singwangcha Megrino will contest the OPBF interim bantamweight jewel with Jonathan Baat, while Rene Dacquel (16W-6L-1D) and undefeated Thai Lucky Tor Buamas will fight for the interim superflyweight crown.
Melligen and Baat are fighting out of the Kashimi Gym in Japan, while Daquel is under the United Boxing Promotions International of top Japanese promoter Ryuta Kato and international matchmaker Warren Elliot Evison
Brico Santig, who was commissioned by OPBF President Juan Ramon Guanzon, to promote the boxing event, said the triple championship will showcase the skills of Filipino fighters to the rest of Asia and the Pacific regions.
Santig was also the promoter of the boxing card for last year’s OPBF convention.
“The WBC bigwigs and the top promoters in Asia and the Pacific will be treated to a slam-bang boxing action. We will show them why Filipino fighters deserve to fight abroad and get a chance to be world champions,” Santig said.
Dacquel, sporting a record of 16 wins-6 losses-1 draw will be up against Buamas, who has won all his seven fights by knockout. One thing going for the Abra native though is his experience, having fought several times in Japan and South Africa once.
Buamas is fighting outside Thailand and against a non-Thai boxer for the first time in his career.
Megrino’s record of 22W (19KOs)-20L (5KO)-3D looks deceiving. But taking a closer look, he has improved a lot recently and is riding high on a seven-game winning streak. He was devastating in those victories that all but one came by stoppage. Among his victims were a Korean, Japanese and two Thais, including former WBC flyweight champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam.
Megrino last fought a Filipino in highly touted Ernesto Saulong, who was undefeated in 15 fights before the former handed him his first loss in April of 2014. From there, Megrino was evaded by Filipino boxers.
