All of a sudden, Filipino Kenneth Llover has become the betting favorite in his bid to beat fellow unbeaten Michael Angeletti in their scheduled 12-round International Boxing Federation bantamweight title eliminator on 6 June in Tokoname, Japan.

“When the fight was announced Kenneth was the underdog,” said two-time world champion Gerry Peñalosa, who handles the knockout artist from Gen. Trias in Cavite, on Saturday.

Still, Penalosa believes the odds favoring Llover would not affect his preparation for the biggest bout of his young career.

“It’s just that Kenneth believes so much in what he can do on top of the ring,” Peñalosa said.

The winner of the Llover-Angeletti showdown will earn a shot at the regular crown being held by Mexican Jose Salas Reyes.

“If Kenneth wins the title elimination fight, I will work hard to bring the world title fight here in Manila,” Peñalosa added.

Like Llover, who sports a 17-0 slate with 12 knockouts, Angeletti also has an unbeaten record of 14-0 with eight knockouts.

The southpaw Llover and his team are scheduled to fly to Nagoya on 30 May.