Moments after Kenneth Llover scored a sensational 59-second annihilation of Tulio Dekanatudo on Sunday in Osaka, the Filipino fighter’s chief handler got a message from the camp of reigning world bantamweight champion Ryosuke Nishida.
“They want to talk to us,” two-division Gerry Peñalosa told DAILY TRIBUNE following Llover’s win that made him the interim Orient-Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) titleholder.
“We’ll see what they’re going to say. Would they offer is (to fight)? I don’t know. We’ll see,” Peñalosa said.
Nishida headlined that event at the Sumiyoshi Sports Center by stopping Thai challenger Anuchai Donsua in seven rounds.
Peñalosa made it clear that the victory made Llover the interim OPBF champion but his status could be upgraded to being the regular champion by next month.
“The current (OPBF) champion is injured and if he won’t be able to defend in January 2025, he could be stripped and Llover will take his place,” Peñalosa added.
Llover’s quick disposal of Dekanatudo boosted his record to 13-0 with eight knockouts.
At just 21 years old, Llover, trained by Peñalosa’s brother Jonathan, displayed a lot of talent in his latest outing.
Based in General Trias, Cavite, Llover is expected to crack the top 15 of the World Boxing Council soon.
Whether he gets an immediate shot at Nishida’s crown remains to be seen but Llover certainly put on quite a show in Osaka over the weekend.