Filipino trainers plot Taduran’s downfall

Two China-based Filipino trainers are plotting the downfall of reigning International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight champion Pedro Taduran.

Cebuanos Rodel “Kid” Orais and Jing Jing Tepora are training Chinese knockout king Zhu Dianxing, who challenges Taduran on 23 November in Jeju Island, Korea.

The DAILY TRIBUNE caught up with them on Monday — their dayoff — and stressed that it’s all work.

“Walang personalan, trabaho lang (It’s just business),” they said when asked about the prospects of helping Zhu take the IBF 105-lb strap from the Filipino southpaw at the Maison Glad Jeju.

Orais and Tepora train Zhu at the Shenzhen Jianzhi Pro Combat Academy where they work hand in hand in helping Zhu reach peak form for his bold bid to dethrone Taduran.

Still, both swear they are not turning their backs on the Philippines by helping Zhu in dethroning Taduran.

“Pusong Pinoy kami pero nandito sa China ang kabuhayan namin (We are Filipinos at heart but our livelihood is here in China),” Orais said.

But it seems that Orais and Tepora are not immune to online bashing.

“We have stopped posting online because we keep on getting a lot of hate from people who can’t seem to understand the nature of our work,” Orais, a former fighter, added.

Meantime, Zhu will resume his training Tuesday with Orais and Tepora out to make sure their fighter remains on track.

Zhu has a 14-1 win-loss record with 12 knockouts and is aiming to become China’s newest boxing hero next month.

Truly, Orais and Tepora are just doing their jobs but Taduran is determined to spoil their plans.