Boxing: Rufino vies for OPBF feather title on Saturday
MANILA, March 6 (PNA) -- Filipino champion
Vinvin Rufino hopes to win the vacant Oriental and Pacific Boxing
Federation featherweight title with countryman Rey Danseco as one of the
judges when he takes on his Japanese counterpart Naoki Matsuda on March
6 at the fabled Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
The 28-year-old southpaw fighter of Johnny Elorde in Sucat,
Paranaque City also has a chance to claim Matsuda`s lofty number 13
ranking in the World Boxing Council (WBC) in case he succeeds in the
scheduled 12-round title fight.
Rufino said he expects a fair decision should the fight go
full distance because of Danseco.
"I'm lucky to have a fellow Filipino in my quest for stardom
because at least I will concentrate in the fight and I will not be
bothered with the decision anymore, although I know OPBF judges are
known for their impartiality and fairness," said Rufino, who arrived in
Tokyo three days before the fight.
Danseco, a sports editor-journalist from Manila, is the lone
Filipino licensed international boxing judge of the WBC in the last
three years.
He has taken his international recognition as one of the
best judges in the world three years ago when WBC president made him the
first Filipino to work in two separate major title bouts in Mexico,
including light-flyweight champ Edgar Sosa's title defense against
Filipino Juanito Rubillar, a WBC junior flyweight eliminator, and title
bouts in North American Boxing Federation and WBC Continental Americas
in June and November 2008.
But Rufino's trainer Mario Lumacad said they will go for a
knockout inside six rounds.
"We will try it as early as possible," said Lumacad, who
will work at Rufino's corner with Elorde.
Elorde's wife, Liza Vicencio-Elorde, will cheer at ringside
while at least 20 Filipino workers and tourists are expected to root for
their countryman.
"Vinvin has trained very hard for this fight and we're here
to support him to move towards a possible WBC world title fight after he
wins this fight," said Liza.
There will be a Japanese judge and a Thai scoring-referee to
complete the cast of officials at ringside.
The Japanese Boxing Commission and OPBF officials are headed
by Yewkow Hayashi and Tsuyoshi Yasukochi.
The 33-year-old Matsuda sports a better ring record of
31-8-3 with 13 knockouts compared to Rufino's ledger　17-7-3 and 7 KOs.
(PNA)
scs/LOR
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