This content is protected By Ronnie Nathanielsz PhilBoxing.com Tue, 21 Aug 2007 This content is protected Golden Boy Promotions vice president and international matchmaker Eric Gomez says Japan and Argentina want to challenge the Philippines for the $500,000 World Cup and have contacted Golden Boy regarding their interest. The Philippines won the World Cup battle with Mexico by a 5-1 rout at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California last Sunday highlighted by the WBO bantamweight title victory of former WBC super flyweight champion Gerry Penalosa who scored a stunning knockout over Mexican champion Jhonny Gonzales and smashing wins by Z The Dream: Gorres, AJ Bazooka Banal, Michael Domingo and Diosdado The PrinceL Gabi. The only loss was the first round KO suffered by previously undefeated Rey Boom Boom Bautista at the hands of WBO super bantamweight champion Daniel Ponce De Leon. Mexico won the inaugural staging of the World Cup two years ago with an overpowering 6-1 win over Thailand. In an overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today, Gomez said there are two countries that are interested. Gomez said weve had calls from Japan, Mr. Honda is very interested as well as Argentina, Mario Arano who is a big promoter over there is also very interested. Akihiko Honda who owns the famous Teiken Gym and is a well-known Japanese businessman handles several top class fighters including world champions Edwin Valero and Jorge Linares who are both Venezuelans living in Japan. Japan also has several world champions who could well be matched against the best from the Philippines. The current Japanese world champions are bantamweight Hozumi Hasegawa (WBA), flyweights Takefumi Sakata (WBA) and Daisuke Naito (WBC), minimum weight Yutaka Niida (WBA) and straw weight Eagle Kyowa (WBC), a Thai who is married to a Japanese and has settled down in Japan. Gomez said they would sit down with Sammy Gello-ani and were gonna decide whats the best country to go after. We are going to see what the best option is and we will continue Gomez indicated they would study what the best options are. He said a Philippines-Japan World Cup showdown would be fun. Source
Japan/PI has some good match-ups Donaire/Kameda Gorres/Nashiro Condes/Niida Denoy/Kayo Penalosa/Hasegawa heck why not
howbout eagle kyowa for japan? though he is not a jap but based there. besides we have a score to settle in giving mayol his first loss.
why include a thai is a japan-philippines world cup? why not add valero and linares while you're at it? and katsidis seems to be keen on training in the philippines on his next fight, why not add him up to team philippines? you, my friend, are mising the whole point
Japan seems to be the better option, with about 4-5 belts on the line. Both teams are evenly-matched, an all-Asia bonanza.
