The city of Iloilo has produced many excellent fighters in recent years, and Juanito Paredes belongs to that assembly line of good amateurs that have gone on to forge successful pro careers. The man dubbed “El Kapitan” has scored 8 wins since going professional in 2014, and returns next month to the ominous task of disarming the popular Roy “d’Hammer” Sumugat. Paredes rises in weight class to meet Sumugat at 135 pounds, and whilst it must be said that his best efforts historically are at 126, El Kapitan is no stranger to taking on the bigger fighters. In late 2019 he ventured to South Korea and rose 25 pounds to fight Gyung Mo Yuh at Super Welter, a formidable task, yet only failing narrowly by dropping a points decision. Prior to that defeat, Paredes was successful in 7 of his 8 bouts, his lone loss being to fellow Iloilo boxer Jules Victoriano.
Juanito Paredes spent 2020 on the sidelines due to the pandemic, and resumed early this year with an encouraging effort against the top class Pete Apolinar. Whilst beaten on points, this strong orthodox boxer was always well balanced and had no trouble taking Apolinar’s best shots, often landing useful counters of his own. It was clearly not his best performance, but the ease with which he handled Apolinar suggested that he probably had some ring rust that limited his offensive options that night. Like Apolinar, big Roy Sumugat shoots from a southpaw stance, and this looks to be something that Paredes is very experienced with. But how about the issue of the heavier weight class? Juanito Paredes is the taller of the two fighters, so he will need to the control action with his jab a lot better than he did in the Apolinar fight.
Paredes actually has a really beautiful jab, but he kept it in the holster that night, and he will need it back big time to keep Sumugat at range. D’Hammer is very definitely one of the most under rated boxers in the Philippines, he has really good understanding of range, great foot work, and even though hes has plenty of power, he is very patient as to when best to use it. Importantly, Sumugat has intuitive shot selection and when the time is right, he really knows when to drop D’Hammer!!! El Kapitan knows his way around the ring, so his game plan won’t be to trade with the heavier Sumugat. This fight is about Paredes using his ring IQ to keep Sumugat at distance, and then draw him in from a narrow stance, punch, and then make angle. But he will require constant focus in order to make this a frustrating night for Roy Sumugat, and avoid feeling the wrath of D’Hammer!
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Bacolod's Genesis Servania will fight China's rising star Aketelieti Yelejian for the WBO Asia Lightweight title this November.
The highly-anticipated match up will take place on the undercard of the IBF world title fight between Pedro Taduran and Zhu DianXing at Jeju Island, South Korea.
Aketelieti Yelejian, who suffered a narrow loss to the Prince Albert Pagara in June, rebounded with an impressive IBF Asia victory against Korean Jin Su Kim in Vietnam recently. He is a very rangy and deceptive boxer known for his relaxed combinations, and he's supremely confident in his ability to take down Servania and claim the title.
"I've studied Servania's style, and I know I have the skills to outmaneuver him," Yelejian said yesterday.
"I'm excited to represent China on the international stage once more, and bring home an impressive win against a top and proven boxer like Genesis."
Servania, a seasoned veteran with a 35-4 record, boasts a reputation for toughness that has come from battles at the top level. And has still possesses some of the best body shots in the sport of boxing.
This important title shot gives the filipino the opportunity to re-establish himself on the world scene once more, and it's best remembered that his only defeats have came against world-ranked champions like Oscar Valdez and Andres Cortes.
But the China team have already confidently stated that Yelejian's youth, speed, height, and reach may all prove too much for the Filipino boxer.
Their optimism also exudes for the world title bout, where surprisingly, they are quite dismissive of Pedro Taduran's hopes of beating star Zhu DianXing. They actually rate their boxer so highly, they have predicted that the champion has no chance of retaining the belt.
These claims set up an intriguing backdrop for two massive Philippines v China feature bouts.
Fight Details :
- Date: Saturday, November 23rd
- Location: Jeju Island, South Korea
- Title: WBO Asia Lightweight
- Contenders: Aketelieti Yelejian (China) vs. Genesis Servania (Philippines)