Fajardo, Medecillo step on brakes
MIEL Fajardo (right) and Zyvyr Medecillo enter the last phase of their respective buildups for their world title shots on 26 November in Tokyo.
Photograph by Nick Giongco for DAILYTRIBUNE
The last two Filipino fighters vying for world titles this year — top flyweight Miel Fajardo and minimumweight Zyvyr Medecillo — are doing well in the final runup to their 26 Novemberappointment with history.
Mandatory challenger Fajardo battles Masamichi Yabuki for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) 112-pound jewels while Medecillo tangles with Takeshi Ishii for the World Boxing Association (WBA) 105-pound plum.
Both fights are taking place on the same night at the Ebara Wave Arena in Ota, Tokyo.
“They are just gradually cutting off weight while doing light sparring and mitts session with their respective trainers,” reported matchmaker Anthony Arieta on Tuesday.
The two are slated to fly to Tokyo’s Haneda airport on Friday next week where they will be welcomed by their Hong Kong manager Lennox Tsoi.
Both are underdogs but it is Medecillo who is the heavier one.
But the Koronadal native isn’t awed by Ishii, who had WBA crown a couple of months ago via a first-round knockout.
Fajardo, meanwhile, though the underdog as well, is considered a live one.
In securing a shot at Yabuki, Fajardo needed just 65 seconds to dispose of Tobias Reyes of Argentina last April in their title elimination match.
Presently, the Philippines only has one world champion and that guy is Pedro Taduran, who just retained the IBF mini-fly diadem over the weekend in the United States.