Elorde Boxer Awardee To Fight Kimweri For WBC World Title

This year’s Gabriel Elorde Boxer of the Year awardee Randy “Razor” Petalcorin will get another chance to win a new title for the Philippines when he meets Tanzanian brawler Omar “Lion Boy” Kimweri in their 12-round championship fight for the World Boxing Council (WBC) World Silver flyweight title on April 15 at the Melbourne Pavillion in Victoria, Australia.

Petalcorin, who has a record of 23 wins, 18 by knockouts with one loss and one draw, is currently the interim World Boxing Association (WBA) light flyweight champion.

The 24-year-old southpaw won the interim WBA world light flyweight title by knocking out Walter Tello last August 26, 2014 in Shanghai, China. He defended it successfully also via a TKO win against Chinese fighter Yi Ming Ma last April 24, 2015 in Beijing, China.

Petalcorin is confident that he can beat Kimweri since they had sparred already two years ago also in Melbourne.

“I’m not scared of Kimweri. I don’t find any problems in beating him,” said Petalcorin in a text message.

His young manager Jim Claude Manangquil, chief executive officer of the Sanman Promotions, said that Petalcorin has trained hard for this fight.

“Randy hopes to get another belt for the country,” said Manangquil, whose co-manager is Peter Maniatis of Australia.

Manangquil said that they are “just testing one fight for Petalcorin in the flyweight division.”

“He is really a light flyweight. We will see if he looks good in 112 lbs. But the original plan was really to be at 108 lbs. only,” Manangquil said.

Kimweri (15W-3L-0D, 6 KOs), on the other hand, said that he is going for a knockout win.

The 33-year-old orthodox fighter captured the WBA Pan African light flyweight champion via a unanimous decision against Michael Camelion in his previous outing last February 26 in Victoria, Australia.

Kimweri is also a former WBO Oriental light flyweight and Australian flyweight champion.

He also fought but lost for the vacant OPBF light flyweight title by a split decision to Shin Ono last January 12, 2013 in Tokyo, Japan. But Kimweri bounced back with back-to-back wins before annexing his present title. (PNA) LAP/LCM/LOLITO T. DELOS REYES/LDP