His name doesn’t ring a bell even among the hardcore fight fans.

But the name Mark Vicelles might be the talk of the town late next week if he becomes the International Boxing Federation (IBF) light-flyweight champion.

Vicelles battles defending champion Thanongsak Simsri, a Japan-based Thai puncher, in the picturesque city of Shizuoka on 26 September.

But upsetting Simsri won’t be easy. It’s going to be extremely difficult given the champion’s vast experience and superb skill set.

Holding a 40-1-0 win-loss-draw record with 35 knockouts, Simsri will have Vicelles as his fifth Filipino foe.

His four Filipino victims include Christian Bacolod, John Paul Gabunilas, Miel Fajardo and Christian Araneta.

On paper, Vicelles looks every inch a fifth victim.

Parading a 21-2-1 ledger with 12 knockouts, Vicelles insists he went the extra mile in training and is positive that the title is going to change hands come fight night at the Fujisan Messe Exhibition Hall.

Representing Suruga Danji Boxing, which is staging the title fight in coordination with Ohashi Promotions, Vicelles boasts that he is “100 percent ready.”

But more than that, the Sultan Kudarat native insists that he is inspired and “very motivated.”

“I feel very good because I had a surprise visitor during training recently,” Vicelles told me yesterday on the phone as I was rushing my way to work.

The guy he was referring to who dropped by his training session was Hideyuki Ohashi of the Yokohama-based Ohashi Promotions, the lead outfit of pound-for-pound king Naoya “Monster” Inoue.

“He visited me and even watched my sparring,” Vicelles said, noting that he is ready to rumble and join Pedro Taduran as the Philippines’ only reigning world champions.

It’s not surprising that Vicelles’ upcoming fight lacks fanfare and buzz.

In fact, Vicelles doesn’t enjoy even a decent following among Filipino boxing fans.

Having fought in Cebu and Bohol during his early years, Vicelles is one guy who perfectly fits the description of what an obscure boxer is like.

Yeah, he is world-rated but he doesn’t rank among the 108-division’s top threats.

But Vicelles will get a chance to reverse everything when he answers the bell.

Don’t count him out.

Historically, Filipino fighters have always been live underdogs.

Many of boxing’s greatest upsets features Filipino fighters.

In the 1980s and 1990s, there were plenty of earth-shaking victories scored by Filipinos.

Rolando Navarrete did it when he flattened Ugandan Cornelius Boza-Edwards in Viareggio, Italy in 1981 while Frank Cedeno shocked Englishman Charlie Magri in London in 1983 and Luisito Espinosa opposite Khaokor Galaxy in 1989 in Bangkok.

In the 1990s, there was Rolando Pascua against Humberto Gonzalez and, of course, Manny Pacquiao versus Chatchai Sasakul.

Other stunning wins posted by Filipino pugilists during those times involved Morris East against Akinobu Hiranaka in Tokyo and Espinosa against Alejandro “Cobrita” Gonzalez in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Recently, Pacquiao figured in quite a number alongside Nonito Donaire (against Vic Darchinyan), Malcolm Tunacao (against Medgoen 3K Battery) and Gerry Penalosa (against Jhonny Gonzalez).

There is hope for Vicelles because Philippine boxing has a solid track record.

As they say in boxing, “you’ll never know.”