‘The Lover Boy’ hot on OPBF crown

Heavy-handed southpaw Kenneth Llover conducted an open workout Monday before a handful of scribes three weeks before a fight that could bring him to another level.

The undefeated Filipino fighter is slated to challenge Keita Kurihara of Japan on 24 March at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.

“We are right on track,” Llover said after racking up eight rounds of sparring at the Peñalosa Sports Center in Parañaque.

Llover packs an unbeaten 13-0-0 win-loss-draw card with eight knockouts and is going after Kurihara’s Orient-Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) 118-lb strap.

He earned his shot at the OPBF 118-lb title after posting a 59-second demolition in of Dulio Dekanudo in Osaka last December.

Llover, nicknamed “The Lover Boy,” insists he is going to give Kurihara a taste of hell given his aggressive style.

“He hasn’t fought somebody like me and that’s going to be a big difference,” added the 22-year-old banger from General Trias in Cavite.

Still, Llover swears Kurihara, who totes a 19-8-1 card with 16 knockouts, will do his best to keep his distance but such tactic won’t last.

Titleholder, a fast-rising streaming company, will do the online telecast of the scheduled 12-rounder in coordination with two-time world champion Gerry Peñalosa, Paolo Diaz, Elmer Anuran and Herbert Sara.

If victorious, the plan is for Llover to defend on home soil, according to Anuran.

That brought a smile on Llover’s face but he was quick to realize that he has to hurdle past his upcoming assignment first before looking forward to Anuran’s proposal.

Llover and his team depart for the Japanese capital two days before the bout.