Another closely fought and compelling fight between the experienced Roberto Gonzales and improving youngster Jino Rodrigo.

After having a point deducted for a low blow, Gonzales rallied, but was stopped surprisingly late in the final round.

Gonzales put some great combinations together, but often gave points back due to being countered.

Rodrigo continues to grow.

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An accidental head clash and a cut to Richard Pumicpic results in the fight being stopped in round 3.

ANOTHER TECHNICAL DRAW !

Pumicpic won the first two rounds, and landed some leaping left hooks, before a head bump in the second.

Canada looked great, big and physical, and this was shaping to be a real war!

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Giovanni Escaner was class from the opening bell, and had opponent Albert Alcoy in trouble at the end of the first round. Escaner continued his good work in the second, forcing Alcoy to the corner, before landing an overhand shot to the temple, and closing the show.

Great showing by southpaw Jason Buenaobra,  who dominated the ring position for most part, setting his combos up with slick and varied jabs, and quick feet shift to his right.

This again was an improved Basas, and whilst out maneuvered, he managed to corner Buenaobra at times and land heavy shots of his own. He kept his opponent thinking the entire fight, which was expected !

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Lorence Rosas won the first round with good accuracy inside from southpaw stance. The much taller Tesoro started to find his range late in the second, to dominate the middle rounds. Lorence Rosas regrouped with a nice round five and a close final round.

Good fight both boys, and while a draw was fair, hard to argue with a Tesoro win.

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Jonathan Almacen suffers a cut in round three and is unable to continue, forcing a technical draw.

Almacen won the first round, but the resuming Bentoso looked great in the second.

Shame, was looking like developing into q really interesting fight.

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In a match where Majadas tried to land the heavier leather,  and Antonio showed the higher skills and deft touches, the judges called it a DRAW!

Great fight, and a returning Antonio,  maybe slightly unlucky on the scorecards.

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Omega Cebu coach Julius Erving Junco didn’t mince words at yesterday’s press conference. He believes that former Olympian Charly Suarez can’t mix it with their star, and if he does, he will lose every round or even worse – be KNOCKED OUT!  

TOMJUNE Mangubat looks to score a huge upset today, March 12, as he faces highly touted former Olympian Charly Suarez in a World Boxing Association (WBA) super featherweight title fight in the main event of “Ultimate Knockout Challenge: Tiger 2022” at The Flash Grand Ballroom of the Elorde Sports Complex in Parañaque City, Metro Manila.

The 24-year-old Mangubat is coming in as an underdog against Suarez, who has been impressive in his career as a pro.

Mangubat, however, hopes to derail the Suarez hype train and hand him his first career defeat.

“That’s what we want for him to go toe-to-toe. We believe he’ll run. They will have a bigger chance of winning if it goes the distance because it’s their promotion,” Mangubat’s coach Julius Erving “Jinggoy” Junco told SunStar Cebu. “If possible (we’ll knock him out). We could also win all the rounds and show the judges that we’re in control.”

Mangubat tipped the scales at 129 pounds, while the 33-year-old Suarez weighed-in a pound lighter at 128 pounds.

The winner of the fight could break into the WBA super featherweight rankings and step closer at a world title shot.

Mangubat is 15-2-1 with 12 knockouts, while Suarez is 9-0 with six knockouts.

“Courtesy of SunStar”

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The Wild Man Jino Rodrigo making international guests Linn Sandstrom and Jada feel welcome. When not a tour guide, the boisterous Rodrigo doubles as a boxer, and expect his clash with Roberto Gonzales to be one of the best of the day.
Can Jino get lucky two days in a row?

The three title fights all weighed in without problem, and all six boxers looked in magnificent shape.
Suarez v Mangubat WBA Asia title
Martin v Baldonado WBA Asia and RP title
Ligas v Biendima RP title

15 great fights Read all about them here:

https://www.vsppromotions.com//promotions/tiger-2022

Igorot quicksilver Carl Jammes Martin and Davao's Ronnie Baldonado made weight and are pumped for tomorrow's WBA Asia and Philippines national title match.
Naysayers were saying Baldonado will be too small for Wonder Boy. WRONG !!!
We already advised that Baldonado will bring the heat tomorrow, and he giving the local star Martin plenty to worry about.
DO NOT MISS THIS !

TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge Paranaque, Manila
Saturday March 12th
WATCH IT HERE LIVE !!

Read about all tomorrow's fighters:

https://www.vsppromotions.com//promotions/tiger-2022

Tomjune Mangubat 129
Charly Suarez 128

CHARLY SUAREZ v TOMJUNE MANGUBAT WBA ASIA TITLE Super Featherweight
TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge Paranaque, Manila
Saturday March 12th
WATCH IT LIVE AT: https://www.facebook.com/VSPPromotion

Read about all the fighters here:

https://www.vsppromotions.com//promotions/tiger-2022

Three of the very best fighters in the Philippines right now, hungry but still smiling!
Richard "the Beast "Pumicpic, Arnel "the Silencer" Baconaje, and the wild dog himself - JonJon "the Wolverine " Estrada are seated in wait for their turn on the scales.
BIG FIGHTS COMING TOMORROW !

YES Linn Sandstrom and Arnel Baconaje LOOK LIKE MODELS, but they are actually FIGHTERS !
They will be competing tomorrow in Paranaque at TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge.
Weigh in and press conference today.

Omega coach Julius Erving Junco with pride of Cebu and main event fighter Tomjune Mangubat.

The super talented Mangubat is fighting the hottest property in Philippines boxing, the former Olympian and unbeaten pro, Charly Suarez.

So clinical has the King's Warrior been since leaving the amateurs, he is yet to lose a round in 9 fights (6 KO)

Mangubat has built an impressive resume of his own, racking up 15 wins against some quality opponents. Three of his last 4 fights have been wicked and thunderous stoppages!

The clash of these two super fighters promises to be a thriller.

"We are always up for the biggest challenges. We can't wait to perform. Let's go champ! We will rock your show!" enthused a supremely confident and proud Coach Julius.

This will be a fight to tell your grand kids about!

Do not miss it for anything.

Make no mistake, Tomjune Mangubat is perhaps the hottest prospect in the country right now, and at the age of just 24, is already planning the downfall of the best fighter in the Philippines.

JUST WOW !

TOMJUNE MANGUBAT v CHARLY SUAREZ

WBA Asia Super Featherweight title

TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge Paranaque, Manila

Saturday March 12th

WATCH IT LIVE AT: https://www.facebook.com/VSPPromotion

https://www.vsppromotions.com//promotions/tiger-2022

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Cagayan de Oro fighter Aisah "D'Striker" Alico has arrived in Manila, and is looking forward to her clash with Australia's Linn Sandstrom this Saturday.
Alico, who has 7 career wins (5KO), hasn't fought since March 2019, but has shared the ring previously with world class opponents. In contrast, Linn Sandstrom with 2 wins, is way less experienced, but has the advantage of being more recently active. The boxer known as "Sandstorm" had a solid victory in Brisbane last Thursday night at the No Limits Boxing show in Australia.
On arrival in Manila, the Mindanao girl said "It's HOT!" and headed straight to the pool for a cool down. Few could blame her, and for sure, expect things to get heated in her match this Saturday.

AISAH ALICO v LINN SANDSTROM
TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge Paranaque, Manila
Saturday March 12th
WATCH IT LIVE AT: https://www.facebook.com/VSPPromotion

GREAT FIGHTERS MAKE GREAT FIGHTS!
Richard Pumicpic ranks as one of the Philippines' best ever boxers, and he will be competing this Saturday at the Flash Grand Ballroom in Paranaque .
If you can get there, don't miss the chance to see "the Beast " doing what he does best! 15 iconic bouts!

RICHARD PUMICPIC v PABLITO CANADA
TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge Paranaque, Manila
Saturday March 12th
WATCH IT LIVE AT: https://www.facebook.com/VSPPromotion

https://www.vsppromotions.com//promotions/tiger-2022

HONORARY PINAY !
Swedish boxer Linn Sandstrom flanked by boxers and crew at Elorde Southbox in Manila today.
Linn will be fighting in the opening event this Saturday.

TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge Paranaque,Manila
Saturday March 12th
WATCH IT LIVE AT:https://www.facebook.com/VSPPromotion

Australia's Linn Sandstrom has touched down in Manila, and headed straight to the Elorde Southbox gym first thing this morning to shake off the jet lag !

Swedish born Sandstrom, who only recently turned pro, scored her second win on Thursday night at the big No Limits Boxing event in Brisbane.

Sandstrom has an unusual back story, having formerly being a high level table tennis player in Sweden, before discovering her true passion for boxing once she arrived in Australia. A relatively late comer to the sport, Linn is on a fast track to learn the game, and her plan is, stay as busy as possible !

Linn Sandstrom will fight CDO girl Aisah Alico in the opening fight at TIGER 2O22 on Saturday. Alico has recorded 7 wins (5 KO), but may have to contend with ring rust having not competed since 2019.

LINN SANDSTROM v AISAH ALICO

TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge Paranaque, Manila

Saturday March 12th

WATCH IT LIVE AT:https://www.facebook.com/VSPPromotion

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Charly Suarez getting the business done in only his 4th career fight against General Santos City boxer Dave Barlas.

The King's Warrior Suarez lines up for his tenth straight win when he meets Cebu sensation Tomjune Mangubat this coming Saturday.

Suarez (9-0) and Mangubat (15-2) will contest the WBA Asia super featherweight title.

TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge Paranaque, Manila

Saturday March 12th

WATCH IT LIVE AT: https://www.facebook.com/VSPPromotion

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Tomjune Mangubat and his team from Omega Cebu are super confident that they have the boxer and the game plan to bring down the Philippines best Charly Suarez.
The match is scheduled for 12 rounds, and they say the skillful Suarez will wish he was back in the amateurs !
The Mangubat team claim that the King's Warrior is on old legs, and he won't be able to run all night. And if Suarez tries to go toe to toe, he will get hurt by the bigger and very physical Tomjune Mangubat. In fact, they predict that Charly Suarez won't see the final bell!
Them's fighting words!
But one thing for sure, Tomjune Mangubat is one of the hottest prospects in Philippines boxing, and looks destined to develop into a world class fighter.
His clash with Charly Suarez will prove a very significant milestone on that journey.

TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge Paranaque, Manila
Saturday March 12th
WATCH IT LIVE AT: https://www.facebook.com/VSPPromotion

Ronnie "Jong Jong" Baldonado and Michael "Hot'n Spicy" Dasmarinas have the rounds in the bank, and are super confident to put on blazing displays in Manila next Saturday.

Baldonado is a powerhouse bantam moving up to challenge the unbeaten Carl Jammes Martin for the WBA Asia strap. Whilst being a big admirer of the precocious Wonder Boy, the punching wizard Baldonado puts it bluntly
"He can't beat me, so his winning streak will be over!"
Michael Dasmarinas had an unfortunate no contest at his most recent, when the durable Ernie Saulong received an accidental head gash. The classy Dasmarinas will ensure no repeat of that, when he meets total "pain in the ass "opponent Danny Tampipi, a southpaw renowned as both durable and awkward. Wanna know more?
Read about Baldonado, Dasmarinas, and all your other TIGER 2O22 UKC fighters here:
https://www.vsppromotions.com//promotions/tiger-2022

TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge Paranaque, Manila
Saturday March 12th
WATCH IT HERE LIVE

Jino Rodrigo and Remon Basas chillin' and getting a tan now the hard work's been done !
These Olivetti trained boxers have big fights coming at TIGER 2O22 next Saturday.

Jino rematches the highly experienced Roberto Gonzales, and based on their very close first fight, expect fireworks !
Bad Bad Basas is a super strong and improving type, and he takes on a more experienced and skilled Jason Buenaobra. Both these guys did great with a common opponent in Lorenz Ladrada, so their clash should prove one of the more interesting matches of the big 15 fight card.

Find out the latest about ALL your favorite boxers competing at the TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge next Saturday in Paranaque Manila.
https://www.vsppromotions.com//promotions/tiger-2022

One of the Philippines' best ever will be starring in Manila next week alongside a group of outstandingly talented fighters.
If you have never been fortunate enough to see "the Beast" do his thing live and in person, don't miss the opportunity to get to the Flash Elorde ballroom next Saturday.

RICHARD PUMICPIC v PABLITO CANADA
TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge Paranaque, Manila
Saturday March 12th
WATCH IT LIVE AT:

Ben "the Sniper" Ligas suits up for his Philippines Flyweight title defense next Saturday in Paranaque.
Not only a boxer of high potential, Ligas doubles as a pretty useful model for the latest sports wear from the team at BE ATHLETIC !
The Sniper will defend his belt as one of the main undercard bouts to the huge Charly Suarez v Tomjune Mangubat WBA Asia clash.
TIGER 2O22 will play host to a mammoth 15 killer bouts, and many of the champion fighters will be dressed by BE ATHLETIC !
Lots of thanks to Raoul Navarrete and his hard working team for making these stars look their best.

Ben "the Juicer" Mcculloch was one of the best boxers Australia has ever produced, winning 14 straight and getting to world rank #3 as a super middleweight. His signature was his beautiful balance, distance and rotational power, often producing decapitation style knockouts. And it always looked so effortless!

Arnel Baconaje is as close as we've seen to the Aussie star, and he is a standout as one of the Philippines best and most technical operators. The Iloilo fighter shows really good patience in setting his shots, makes good angles, and dispenses the pain with plenty of high and low variety. His defensive base is solid, and he simply never gives cheap shots away to opponents.

Says McCulloch : "I love this guy, especially when I've seen him work with Suarez and Pumicpic. He has the really nice distance and jab, and has that nice Bernard Hopkins /James Toney roll that I used to love when I fought. But you know what, I can see a lot of Canelo in JUICER2, he really is QUALITY !"

Juicer2, also known as "the Silencer ",will be appearing next week at TIGER 2O22 in Manila. Tune in, and judge for yourself ! He is a special fighter.

ARNEL BACONAJE v LEONARDO DORONIO TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge Paranaque, Manila

Saturday March 12th

WATCH IT LIVE AT:https://www.facebook.com/VSPPromotion

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Big congrats to former Victory8 and world team members Danilo Creati and Linn Sandstrom on great wins in Brisbane last night.
"Dash" Creati put on a clinic, besting the outstanding Cameron Hammond, an Olympian who had won 18 of 19 pro fights. Creati was untouchable, winning by shutout and dropping his opponent twice during the contest.
Linn Sandstrom showed the benefits of a great camp, and better shot selection, in her victory over Ali Jensen. In an entertaining match, the Swedish born Sandstrom sent her opponent to the floor twice, but plenty of punches were still exchanged till the final bell.
Philippines Joe Noynay had a below par performance, stopped by a beautiful left hook in the second round from a vengeful Liam Wilson. Noynay weighed in 4kg over and his poor showing remains a puzzle.

Can the face of violent imposition look so impossibly handsome?

Jonjon Estrada plans to answer that question with an exclamation mark, when he takes on the hugely talented Jess Rhey Waminal, at TIGER 2O22 on Saturday March 12th.
Both fighters sit on 14 wins, both fighters are similarly ranked, but their modus operandi couldn't be any more different, and this makes it compelling viewing.

Mindanao boxer Waminal was a quality amateur, and he shows those beautiful technical touches as a pro.
The Wolverine has gained cult status because of his very neanderthal approach, he stalks his prey with a low and crouching style, and carries knockout power in both hands. He has morphed into one of the most feared boxers in the Philippines, courtesy of his 13 "put your lights out" stoppage victories.
BUT DON'T BE DECEIVED BY THE SMILE !
DOES "VIOLENCE" HAVE A FACE ?

JONJON ESTRADA v JESS RHEY WAMINAL
TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge Paranaque, Manila
Saturday March 12th
WATCH IT LIVE AT: https://www.facebook.com/VSPPromotion

The Tigers are out!

Four of the outstanding boxers on show at next week's TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge.

Lorence Rosas, Malfred Majadas, Giovanni Escaner and Jason Buenaobra are four high skilled technicians, all with very differing styles, but all confident they are armed and ready to put on a show in Paranaque.

TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge Paranaque, Manila

Saturday March 12th

WATCH IT LIVE AT: https://www.facebook.com/VSPPromotion

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Australia's Linn Sandstrom made weight easily for tomorrow night's clash in Brisbane against Ali Jensen.
The boxer known as "Sandstorm" has a busy schedule ahead, appearing again at TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge on Saturday March 12th.
Linn takes on CDO girl Aisah Alico, a winner of 7 fights, but she is resuming from a two year break from the sport.
This will no doubt be a challenging bout for both girls, and it will be great to finally see women's boxing making a welcome return to Manila.

LINN SANDSTROM v AISAH ALICO
TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge Paranaque, Manila
Saturday March 12th
WATCH IT LIVE AT: https://www.facebook.com/VSPPromotion

One of the Philippines' best ever comes out to play at TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge on Saturday March 12th.
Richard "the Beast " Pumicpic has fought some of the world's best boxers in recent years, and he also has a victory over Philippines #1 Joe Noynay on his very impressive resume.
The ever popular boxer is matched with tall timber Pablito Canada over 6 rounds, and this should prove to be a great opportunity to see the Beast ply his trade once more!

RICHARD PUMICPIC v PABLITO CANADA
TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge Paranaque, Manila
Saturday March 12th
WATCH IT LIVE AT:https://www.facebook.com/VSPPromotion/

The King's Warrior, when asked today how he is feeling leading up to his mega fight with Tomjune Mangubat for the WBA Asia title on Saturday March 12th :

"Happy Happy Great training result and a positive outcome. I can't wait !"

A picture speaks a THOUSAND words !!

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Charly Suarez took on the unbeaten Justin Cabarles in his second professional bout. Cabarles was a tall unbeaten orthodox with lots of skills and potential.

In his previous fight, Cabarles won against another unbeaten prospect by the name of Jhunrick Carcedo. The merit of that Cabarles victory was obvious, as Carcedo won his subsequent four fights by KO, and is now the #2 ranked super lightweight in the Philippines.

Enjoy the round two action of Suarez in his second pro fight, against a very game Justin Cabarles.

Suarez is now 9 and 0 as a professional, and fights Tomjune Mangubat for the WBA Asia title in Paranaque on Saturday March 12th.

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Jino "the Silent Beast " Rodrigo brooding, even with a subdued and menacing visage - this is the quiet time, akin to the calm before the storm.
But be sure, the Beast will soon be unleashed from within, the Wild Man will unveil in Paranaque on March 12th!

JINO RODRIGO v ROBERTO GONZALES TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge Paranaque, Manila
Saturday March 12th
WATCH IT LIVE AT: https://www.facebook.com/VSPPromotion

Philippines national Flyweight champ Ben Ligas will be defending his title at TIGER 2O22 this March.
And if he doesn't win, who really cares, because he will be
WALKING TALL, LOOKING GOOD ! in this great design from the hard working team at
BE ATHLETIC.
Thanks to Raoul Navarrete and Be Athletic for supporting Philippines sports and Boxing.
Remember if you wanna look like a champ, Be Athletic will take care of you!

The boxers competing at TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge not only are super talented, they really look the part!
This is because of the cool and creative efforts of Raoul Navarrete and his team at Be Athletic, who look after not only the best athletes in the Philippines and abroad, they make these designs available to the fan market also.
Charly Suarez is out to make a statement on March 12th that he is the Philippines #1 fighter in any division, and he says he loves the Be Athletic gear.
We will show you the designs that some of the boxers have had customized in the coming days - they are amazing !
Even visiting boxer Linn Sandstrom (Australia ) was so impressed, she has had her outfit made by Be Athletic.
So get with the program, if you wanna BE ATHLETIC, (and look great) contact them for all your fight and Activewear needs.

Thanks Raoul Navarrete and Be Athletic !

Two weeks out and the Philippines national Flyweight champ Ben Ligas is raring to go!"The Sniper" has trained well in preparation for his title defense, and in spite of losing two challengers along the way, has a battle on his hands with the very resilient Roland Jay Biendima.BEN LIGAS v ROLAND JAY BIENDIMARP Flyweight titleTIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge Paranaque, ManilaSaturday March 12thWATCH IT LIVE AT: https://www.facebook.com/VSPPromotion/

Vietnam team and Victory8 boxer Thomas "Infamous" Wu finally makes his pro debut in Florida this Friday night.
Thomas Wu was part of a high talent Vietnam team that took on international boxers in Hanoi in late 2019, and he put on a great display, trading punches with Australasian champion Michael Pengue.
22 year old Wu will take on Anthony Curtiss, a veteran with 3 wins on his resume.
Both these fighters are extremely tall for welterweights, with Vietnam atomic blonde Thomas Wu at over 6 feet and no problems on the scales. This debut fight will be over 4 rounds, and based on his performance at Victory8, expect to see INFAMOUS to kick some butt and make some seriously noise !
GO VIETNAM !!

Albert “the Ageless” Alcoy has earned the reputation as a journeyman in the true essence of the word, and makes his way to TIGER 2022 to take on the outstanding Giovanni Escaner.Whilst Escaner is resuming from a hiatus dating back to 2019, the experienced Alcoy managed to get a bout in October 2021, where he lost on points to the high level Jonathon Taconing. The 38 year old Alcoy has an array of top names on his reume, and his previous win was a decisive knockout victory over the cunning southpaw Danny Tampipi, who also appears on this fight card. This orthodox fighter has competed consistently for over 16 years, and is still going strong!! Alcoy, who is now based in Makati City, and has spent recent years both competing and training others in boxing and mixed combat. And true to his “no task too big” edict, we will see “the Ageless” return to his love for the sport of boxing when he meets Giovanni Escaner on March 12th.ALBERT ALCOY v GIOVANNI ESCANERTIGER 2022 Ultimate Knockout ChallengeParanaque, Manila Saturday March 12thWATCH IT LIVE AT:https://www.facebook.com/VSPPromotion

The King's Warrior Charly Suarez has heard all the talk, and he just smiles, and says it will soon be time to walk the walk!

Suarez has been told of the noise coming out of Cebu - that he is better suited to the amateurs, that he doesn't have the power to be a top class pro, that he will be on his bike against Mangubat, and that he won't last 12 rounds, blah blah blah.

Omega Cebu team is supremely confident to take Suarez into very deep waters and drown him, to which the champion replies :
"Yes the deep waters can be dangerous, so please Mangubat team, make sure you are good swimmers! The WBA belt is mine, but if you want it, sure, come swimming in the dark waters and take it from me bro!"
And yes, as usual, Charly says it all with a smile!

CHARLY SUAREZ v TOMJUNE MANGUBAT WBA ASIA TITLE
TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge Paranaque ,Manila
Saturday March 12th
WATCH IT LIVE AT: https://www.facebook.com/VSPPromotion

The “Little Giant” makes his long awaited return at TIGER 2022, matching up with the experienced veteran Albert Alcoy. The bout marks a ring absence of more than 2.5 years for the locally based star, when he defeated the outstanding Renoel Pael in a thriller.
The win over Pael, a winner of 23 fights, highlighted the level that Escaner had worked to in his professional career. It also put him back on the winners’ list, after a previous loss to top American Joshua Greer ended in a dramatic stoppage loss. That blip punctuated a 10 match winning streak for the “Little Giant”.
The fight between top US prospect Joshua Greer and Giovanni Escaner must surely have been one of the most THRILLING in 2019. Greer appeared to be sailing towards a world title. With only one loss on his resume, to the unbeaten Stephen Fulton, Greer was expected to make a statement in the Escaner fight. But things didn’t go to plan for the high flying American. Escaner dropped Greer in the third round, and it really looked as if he was going to be finished off by the Little Giant. To his credit, Greer regained his senses, and in a to and fro round, managed to stop Escaner in round 8. The action was frenetic, and it seemed obvious that the Philippines fighter perhaps only got caught in his effort to drop the American for a second time. To illustrate the closeness of the bout, the judges had scores of 67-66 and 67-65 when the referee called a halt.
Giovanni Escaner has been sparring in Manila in preparation for March 12th, and if the rumours are correct, he will show no signs of ring rust upon his return. He has been working with quality opponents, including Carl Jammes Martin, who can confidently testify to the fact “The Little Giant is back!!!”

They say Suarez is "running" on old legs!
Tomjune Mangubat is prepared to take the former amateur star 12 rounds if he has to, but confidently predicts :
THIS FIGHT WILL NOT GO THE DISTANCE !

TOMJUNE MANGUBAT v CHARLY SUAREZ
TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge
WBA ASIA TITLE
Paranaque, Manila
Saturday March 12th
WATCH IT LIVE AT: https://www.facebook.com/VSPPromotion

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Outstanding young prospects Tomjune Mangubat and Carlo Bacaro are promising to storm the fortress of Manila and take home all the spoils of victory. They say by the time they are done - there will be nothing left, especially for SEA Games hero Charly "King's Warrior " Suarez !
The Cebu based pair are trained at Omega Gym, and are under the expert tutelage of head coach Julius Erving Junco. Word on the street is that they have been training the house down, and are confident to make headlines at TIGER 2O22 next month in Paranaque.
Tomjune Mangubat has not only an imposing physique, he boasts a resume to match!.
He takes on the Philippines' best boxer Charly Suarez for the WBA Asia title, and the mood in camp is that the former Olympian's reputation will count for nothing once the opening bell sounds. The Omega team are on track for a devastating victory, feeling Suarez lacks the power and legs to go to war for 12 rounds. They also are strongly committed to chasing the knockout if the former amateur champ shows any sign of weakness. And with three imposing stoppages in his most recent bouts, the confidence of Team Mangubat looks well founded.
Carlo Bacaro is definitely one of the hottest prospects in the country, and all eyes will be on this unbeaten young star when he takes on the ultra experienced Jimmy Borbon.

TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge Paranaque, Manila
Saturday March 12th
WATCH IT LIVE AT: https://www.facebook.com/VSPPromotion

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Perhaps the most intriguing of the early bouts at TIGER 2022, is the matchup between Jonathon Almacen and the long absent John Paul Bentoso. The bout takes place at junior flyweight, and whilst it poses many unknowns, none is more baffling than "where the hell has John Paul Bentoso been since 2017?? "
Well, it appears that he has now been found, and Jonathon Almacen will be probing for answers!
Jonathon Almacen is an excellent young prospect, born and bred in Manila. This 22 year old orthodox debuted in 2016, where he had an unfortunate technical draw with an excellent emerging boxer named Enrique Magsalin. The trend for quality opponents was repeated, and the improving Alamcen won his next four fights before narrow losses to unbeaten pinoys Jayson Vayson and ArAr Andales. In spite of the losses, Almacen was showing lots of upside, and he quickly regrouped to win the WBC silver title in China over the highly rated Xiang Le. This popular boxer was doing it in style, and earned the moniker “Pretty Boy” (or maybe it was his looks????) His most recent win in 2019 was perhaps his best so far, when he literally shutout Roldan Sasan, a boxer that had only been previously beaten once in 10 fights.
“Pretty Boy” Almacen resumes as a very young fighter on the up and up. This boxer has already amassed 7 wins, he has fast hands, good skills, and shows plenty of variety in his opening attacks. He has been sparring quality partners in preparation for TIGER 2022, so it’s accurate to say that he is a “known” quantity.
But what of his opponent John Paul Bentoso, and how do we make any prediction on this bout????
John Paul Bentoso has been on the missing persons list since 2017!
“The Ghost” Bentoso showed huge potential from the time he was a kid. A regular fixture at national youth championships, Bentoso routinely figured in the medals. In 2014, he won the national championship, defeating the outstanding boxer Robert Paradero, who has subsequently racked up 18 wins as a professional. In 2016, Bentoso was ousted in the semi finals by the barest of margins, falling to a split decision at the hands of another future star named Carlo Paalam.
So “the Ghost” turns pro in 2017, and he looks born to the game! The fast handed southpaw fighter wins 3 bouts in quick succession, all of them by lethal stoppage. His most recent outing was in September of 2017, where he was responsible for a violent beat down of Bonjun Loperez, a far more experienced pro boasting 10 wins. The experience counted for zilch, and it was all over in round two.
And that was it, John Paul Bentos disappeared off the face of the planet, thus becoming “the Ghost”, but in no way diminishing his reputation or aura.
The great news is that Bentoso is back, yet none of us are any the wiser as to what version we will see on March 12th against Jonathon Almacen, who no doubt, will get to the bottom of that mystery!

JONATHON ALMACEN v JOHN PAUL BENTOSO
TIGER 2022 Ultimate Knockout Challenge
Paranaque, Manila
Saturday March 12th
WATCH IT LIVE AT: https://www.facebook.com/VSPPromotion/

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Arnel Baconaje and team working out this morning at Elorde Southbox, in preparation for TIGER 2O22 coming to Manila on Saturday March 12th.

Be ready!

Doesn't get any bigger locally than this!
Philippines best versus Philippines best up and coming - three times SEA Games gold medal winner Charly Suarez takes on the giant killing Tomjune Mangubat of Omega Cebu.

CHARLY SUAREZ v TOMJUNE MANGUBAT WBA ASIA TITLE

TIGER 2O22 Ultimate Knockout Challenge Paranaque, Manila
Saturday March 12th
WATCH IT LIVE AT: https://www.facebook.com/VSPPromotion/

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Mindanao fighter Aisah Alico returns to the ring for the first time since early 2019. This southpaw from CDO is an experienced and internationally travelled war monger, and has some of the best fighters in the minimumweight division on her resume. She makes her return here as a flyweight, and despite being able to easily attain the lighter weight class, she comes to TIGER 2022 at the identical height of opponent Linn Sandstrom.
“D’Striker “ is perfectly monikered as she has really good hands, and she does create awkward angles from her southpaw stance. Ring rust may play a big part here for Alico, as her opponent has the advantage of recent competition. But for sure, experience is the trump card for Aisah, having shared the ring with top names like Yuko Kuroki, Momo Koseki, Ayaka Miyao and Philippines’ Jess Pagaduan.
The lack of recent form makes this match up tricky to pick, but it must be said, the CDO based Alico has defeated more experienced girls than Sandstrom in her 7 previous wins. She has also stopped 5 opponents along the way. Hmmmmm!
One thing is for certain though, it is great to have women’s boxing finally back in action once more!
GO GIRLS!!!

The opening men’s bout at TIGER 2022 will almost certain to set the benchmark for fast hands and feet!
A minimumweight clash over 4 rounds between young resuming boxers Malfred Majadas and John Jayvee Antonio, and both boxers have speed to burn!
The “Mad Dog” Malfred Majadas is based in Paranaque, and made his pro debut back in March of 2018, when he defeated Rosenido Autida by majority decision. He was able to maintain a busy schedule, which is great for any aspiring young fighter, winning 3 of his 4 bouts to date. This activity was punctuated by the pandemic, and sadly, we haven’t seen this promising prospect since early 2019.
So what do we know about Majadas?  Well, he is relatively tall orthodox fighter. He uses distance quite well, and he has a patient conservative style. He is not a silly risk taker, and he selects his shots. His main attribute has also been constant improvement, and his most recent win against Francisco Morales, was emphatic enough to earn a unanimous decision.
John Jayvee Antonio shapes up as an interesting counter argument to the Mad Dog. This Manila based orthodox has also been absent since early 2019, and has a lesser record at face value of 1 win from 4 outings. But you only need to delve a little deeper to see that Antonio has had the far harder opponents, and his most recent points loss was to Alexander Almacen, a winner of his only 3 bouts.
Antonio is certainly a bit of a dark horse in this bout, but he boxes well, and has some variety in his first attacks which may pose issues for Majadas. He possesses a nice lead left hook, and he also throws his shots with a little more venom than the more amateur styled Mad Dog.
This is a really interesting bout, where both boxers resume from a long break, so there is plenty of guesswork. The “mad Dog” Majadas will be a warm favourite, but styles make fights, and expect Antonio to give him lots to contend with in this opening match.
MALFRED MAJADAS v JOHN JAYVEE ANTONIO
TIGER 2022 Ultimate Knockout Challenge
Paranaque, Manila
Saturday March 12th
WATCH IT LIVE AT: https://www.facebook.com/VSPPromotion

Popular Elorde fighter Ali Cañega scored an impressive stoppage win at Ilocos Sur on Saturday. In what was his first appearance since a close tussle with Richard Morales in September last year, Cañega started well, and dominated the action from the opening bell. The man known known as "Carnage " dropped opponent Menard Abila four times in the opening round before the referee called time.
The stoppage victory pushes the unbeaten Cañega to 4 wins in the professional ranks, 3 coming by way of Knockout

2021 was a regrettable year of gym closures, lockdowns, and quarantine bubbles. That not only made putting on an event extremely expensive and difficult, it made including women near impossible.
But all good things come to those who wait, and finally next month, TIGER 2022 sees Linn Sandstrom (1 win) of Australia (by way of Sweden), take on Mindanao’s Aisah Alico (7 wins).
Despite the relative inexperience of Sandstrom , she is on a fast track to learn, and has an interesting back story.
The Brazilian-born fighter was raised in Sweden, where she fell in love with table tennis, and went on to represent her country in the sport.
“Everyone back in Sweden knew me as the girl who played table tennis”
“It is (quite a leap to go from table tennis to boxing), but I’ve been an athlete my whole life so that athlete lifestyle is what I love.”
Sandstrom moved to Australia five years ago and got serious with her ambition to become a pro boxer. While there were skills she picked up in table tennis that came in handy — like hand-eye coordination and footwork — the fight game has one major difference.
“A lot of things are similar except you don’t get punched in the face when you do table tennis,” she said.
Sandstrom will fight Aisah Alico, a southpaw from Cagayan de Oro, before venturing to the States and central America to get some quality sparring. Her ambition is to string some wins together in 2022, and perhaps challenge some bigger names as the gloves start to feel as comfortable as the table tennis racket!
“I’ve had people that really, really want to see me fail. I’m a female that, I’m not just there to say I’m going to do things, I’m here to put in the work and that seems to irritate a lot of people.
“I’m doing me, this is my journey. I’m here to stay now, I’m here to prove a point.”

LINN SANDSTROM v AISAH ALICO
TIGER 2022 Ultimate Knockout Challenge
Paranaque, Manila
Saturday March 12th
WATCH IT LIVE AT: https://www.facebook.com/VSPPromotion/

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