Suarez doing fine in U.S.

Charly Suarez and his team finally touched down in Los Angeles on Tuesday oozing with optimism less than three weeks before his date with destiny.

The Filipino fighter was brought to America on a Philippine Airlines jet and will spend the night in Los Angeles before motoring to Las Vegas in the morning.

Suarez is set to challenge Mexican defending champion Emanuel Navarrete for the World Boxing Organization 130-pound belt at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego on 10 May.

“Everything’s good, everything’s fine,” reported Delfin Boholst, Suarez’s trainer, from Tinseltown moments after their arrival.

They will set up camp in Sin City for the next two weeks before proceeding to San Diego during fight week.

Navarrete, who has beaten four Filipinos, including two in world championship fights, is the obvious betting favorite.

But Suarez, 36, vying in his first world title fight, is a live underdog, somebody not to be messed with.

Since Suarez will have difficulties catching some sleep in the first few days, Boholst will carefully watch over the workouts.

This impending crack at Navarrete’s title was made possible by Ilocos political kingpin Luis “Chavit” Singson, who is friends with Top Rank head and Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum.

Top Rank promotes Navarrete and considers him as one of the Las Vegas-based outfit’s main talents.

If victorious against Navarrete, Suarez will join the likes of Flash Elorde, Rene Barrientos, Ben Villaflor, Rolando Navarrete and even Manny Pacquiao as Filipino world champions in the division.