Thursday, July 24, 2008 `Davao Hitman' to face Kenyan boxer By Marianne Saberon-Abalayan
PHILIPPINE Boxing Federation (PBF) junior featherweight champion Balweg "Davao Hitman" Bangoyan will take a shot for a World Boxing Council (WBC) belt when he challenges reigning international super bantamweight champion Sande Otieno of Kenya in October.
Jose Abad Santos Mayor Alexander Wangkay made the announcement in a press conference at his Ecoland Subdivision residence in Davao City Wednesday.
"With his recent knockout victory against former RP team boxer Phil Angcamor of Cagayan de Oro in Cebu, I believe he is ripe to go international. No local boxer wants to fight him anymore because of his power," said Wangkay, also known as Zander Khan.
Bangoyan, who hails from Jose Abad Santos in Davao del Sur, stopped Angcamor 36 seconds into the second round of their encounter last Saturday, one of the featured fights in the "Collision at the Coliseum" fight card.
"It was his third straight knockout win and his eighth KO in all of his 12 fights," Wangkay said.
Angcamor's record, meanwhile, went down to 14 wins, five losses and two draws.
"Otieno's camp accepted our offer to fight Balweg in the country. I'm thinking of holding the title bout at the Malita Gym to promote Davao del Sur as a whole. I'm seeking the help of the League of Mayors and Pagcor to help put up the event because it would cost some P5 million," Wangkay said.
The mayor said he is also thinking of holding the fight at the Panabo City Gym or at the Davao Convention Center in Davao City.
"We will have to finalize the venue yet. But holding it in Malita would be most advantageous for Balweg because of the hometown crowd," Wangkay said.
Bangoyan, on his part, said: "Andam nako para mulaban sa international fight (I'm ready to fight internationally)."
