Double happiness

It’s not often that two Filipino fighters are fighting for world titles on the same night.

Well, it has happened before.

But honestly, it’s not a common sight.

So the double world championship night taking place on 26 November in Tokyo is going to be a sight to behold.

In the main event, Miel Fajardo challenges Masamichi Yabuki for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight title.

In the appetizer, Zyvyr Medecilo, a stablemate of Fajardo, guns for the Takeshi Ishii’s World Boxing Association (WBA) minimumweight strap.

The odds are stacked heavily against the two given that they will be fighting on hostile ground.

Not only that. Fajardo and Medecilo are up against heavily favored foes who are both heavy-hitters.

Not that Fajardo’s punches are average.

In fact, Fajardo also hits like a mule and Yabuki should not risk testing his foe’s ability to pop.

Doing so could backfire as Fajardo’s left hook is a proven hit.

As for Medecilo, his chances of dethroning Ishii will be a daunting task.

In winning the WBA 105-pound belt last September, Ishii knocked out Puerto Rican Wilfredo Mendez in just 65 seconds.

At first, it appeared as if a right hook to the temple was the reason behind Mendez’s decision to stay on one knee until the count reached 10.

But a video replay showed that a crackling left to Mendez’s body was the cause of his fall.

It was a delayed reaction.

And in boxing, a delayed reaction often leads to the end for the stricken fighter.

“A punch to the head you can shake off but a great shot to the body is different. You can’t pretend that you are not hurt because it would show. You won’t endure the pain it causes so you either take a knee or just lie down for good,” said one veteran trainer.

However, in boxing, strange things have happened.

Upsets do happen in alarming frequency and in a world title fight, anything can happen.

Lennon Tsoi, the Hong Kong manager of Fajardo and Medecilo, can’t wait to fly to Japan to send his wards into battle.

“I am very excited about this fight. Imagine we get to see them pull it off. That’d be the biggest thing,” he said.

Expected to join him there is American Sean Gibbons, who facilitated their respective title shots.

It was Gibbons who expedited Fajardo’s status as mandatory challenger when he sent the Agusan del Sur native to a far-flung province in Argentina last April to meet Tobias Reyes in a title eliminator.

Fajardo made the trip all worth it after knocking out Reyes in one round.

Owing to Fajardo’s knack for finishing off opponents with relative ease, I won’t be surprised if Yabuki ends up becoming a victim as well.

I could just imagine the scenario on top of the ring once that happens.