CIVIL WAR: Blow-By-Blow plotting all-Filipino world title fight

An all-Filipino world title fight on Philippine soil looms on the horizon.

Efforts are under way to hold the first defense of International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion Pedro Taduran against Ar-Ar Andales in the near future.

Taduran was supposed to defend against Chinese Zhu Dianxing of China last November in Jeju Island, Korea but the fight was called off owing to promotional issues.

The weekly boxing show Manny Pacquiao Presents: Blow-By-Blow is spearheading the proposal to pit Taduran against Andales in what will go down as only the fifth world championship fight in the country starring two Filipinos.

“We are sorting key areas of the promotion but everything looks great,” Sanman Boxing’s JC Mananquil, Andales’ promoter, told DAILY TRIBUNE on Thursday.

Even Taduran’s camp seems on the same page with Mananquil.

Marty Elorde also told this paper that American dealmaker Sean Gibbons is on top of everything.

“What I heard is that Pedro’s defending against a Sanman fighter,” Elorde said.

Taduran, 28, had won the IBF 105-lb jewels last July in Otsu City where he bludgeoned erstwhile unbeaten Ginjiro Shigeoka in eight rounds.

Andales, 25, got into the picture following his resounding victory over a fighter Taduran had difficulty beating on two occasions in world title fights: Rene Mark Cuarto.

But those were fights held during a different time and setup as Covid was still very much in play.

Still, Taduran will have his hands full against the right-hander Andales, who parades a 16-2-3 win-loss-draw record with six knockouts.

The southpaw Taduran, who hails from Libon, Albay, packs a 17-4-1 mark with 13 knockouts.

One of just two reigning Filipino world champions — the other being World Boxing Council supremo Melvin Jerusalem — Taduran is known for his incredible staying power and durability.

Even during the holidays, Taduran made sure he remained in shape by doing light workouts at the Elorde Sports Center in Parañaque and even in Bicol.

He is expected to be back in Metro Manila during the weekend to reunite with trainer Carl Penalosa Jr.