Cebu’s Waminal to Face Portes for GBO Bantamweight Title

Jess Rhey Waminal of Cebu will face Renan Portes of Valencia City for the Global Boxing Organization (GBO) super bantamweight title on March 3 at the Limketkai Mall Rotonda in Cagayan de Oro City.

Waminal nicknamed “Wanman Waminal” is toting 12 wins with 7 knockouts, two losses, and a draw.

The 5-foot-6 orthodox fighter knocked out Jin Wook Lim of South Korea in the 9th round last September 7, 2018 in Busan to win the interim World Boxing Association Asia bantamweight title.

Waminal, however, lost to Ben Mananquil for the interim OPBF bantamweight title in Polomolok, South Cotabato in 2017. Portes (10-9-0, 6 knockouts) lost to Mike Plania at Robinson’s Mall in General Santos City on November 25, 2018. He also retired to Pipat Chaiporn in Round 9 for the vacant International Boxing Federation Asia super bantamweight title on March 21, 2018 in Bangkok.

Portes TKO’d Sherwin McDo Lungay in the Round 4 on November 1, 2017, in Iligan City.

The Waminal-Portes bout is one of the two vacant GBO title bouts at stake. Former OPBF bantamweight champion Mark John “The Journey Man” Yap (29-13-0, 14 KOs) of Cagayan de Oro and Ulysses Lagos (9-1-0, 3 KO) of Sultan Kudarat will battle for the vacant GBO featherweight title.

Yap, who lost his OPBF title by technicality, bowed to Takuma Inoue via a unanimous decision last September 11, 2018.

He vowed to win again.

His last victory was a UD against Takafumi Nakajima last April 4 in Korakuen Hall. It was his third title defense.

Lagos, on the other hand, is now on a four-win roll. His last was a split decision over Romulo Ramayan Jr. in CDO last January 16. (PNA)