Live underdogs

The month of July is going to be explosive for Philippine boxing.

Two heavy-handed Filipinos are pegged to see action in Japan and world titles are going to be on the line as they take on crack Japanese champions.

First to attempt is bantamweight Vincent Astrolabio, who battles Junto Nakatani for the World Boxing Council jewels at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo on 20 July.

Then eight days later on the 28th, Pedro Taduran tangles with Ginjiro Shigeoka for the International Boxing Federation plum, the same championship Taduran had won just before Covid.

Both fights are winnable.

But both are going to be tough to pull off given the opponents Astrolabio and Taduran are up against.

Another thing that should work in favor of the Japanese bets is their familiarity with the local conditions.

They are home fighters and winning against the house is always hard as in other sports.

But Astrolabio and Taduran are both worthy and deserving contenders.

They are also not fighting for the sake of getting a paycheck.

They are not going to Japan for sightseeing.

They are coming to win.

Astrolabio will be getting his second chance at becoming a world champion after blowing his first title bid last year in Stockton, California.

Nakatani showcased awesome ammunition the last time he was in action, knocking out the usually durable Alejandro Santiago of Mexico with the cool efficiency of a cold-blooded killer.

Taduran seems to have the easier assignment although Shigeoka is no ordinary champion, either.

The guys who had pushed Taduran to the limit had proven to be no match for Shigeoka.

Mexican Daniel Valladares fought Taduran to a draw while Filipino Jake Amparo went the distance with Taduran.

Shigeoka knocked them out easily with Amparo lasting less than a round last April.

But styles make fights and it is tricky and foolish to base an outcome of a fight on this conjecture alone.

So, don’t count them out.

They have what it takes to join Melvin Jerusalem as the country’s reigning world champion.

Have faith in the Filipino fighter.