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!
Simply put, we think ULTIMATE KNOCKOUT CHALLENGE is going to be the biggest show of the year in the Philippines! 13 fights with some of the biggest names in the country coming together to show you what quality match ups looks like. To make the event even more entertaining, VSP Promotions will give away USD 1,000 to anyone that can correctly guess the outcome of each fight! It's FREE so make sure to try our VSP SUREPICK!
December 24, 2024
Dear Partners,
I would like to take this moment to first wish you and your family a safe and blessed holiday season.
This annual report serves as a benchmark for our progress and a commitment to transparency in our operations. In 2024, a notable decline occurred in the number of professional boxing events held domestically. This downturn was primarily attributed to the cessation of grassroots events by VSP Promotions, a key promoter that played a crucial role in introducing new talent to the domestic professional boxing scene.
The challenges faced in organizing professional boxing events in Vietnam intensified in 2024 compared to the previous year, a reflection of the current market conditions. We anticipate this trend to persist in 2025 due to the continued existence of an unsupportive environment for event organizers, fostered by the local amateur boxing federation.
VBO organized the gathering of 10 commissions in Asia in 8/2024. It is our view that Asia has a fundamental challenge in how boxing is managed and supervised. Standardization and coherent cooperation models that have actionable and measurable outcomes will need to be developed in order to create more regional opportunities for the industry participants.
DOMESTIC REPORT 2024
INTERNATIONAL REPORT 2024
The VBO remains dedicated to securing international fight opportunities for Vietnamese boxers within safe environments. While the organization provides recommendations, the final decision to accept a fight rests solely with the boxers and their coaching teams.
OFFICIALS OF VBO REPORT 2024
VBO collects detailed performance data of each official in their assigned roles at every event. We compile these data for use towards training requirements to further improve their performance.
We hope that 2025 will bring more opportunities for the boxers between partnering countries and jointly continue to improve the quality of our officials. Have a wonderful holiday season! See you all in 2025.
Sincerely,
Lim Song
President of Vietnam Boxing Organization