AJ Banal leads cast for Pinoy Pride XVII

THE complete lineup of Filipino boxers fighting in the Pinoy Pride XVII: Philippines versus the World will be officially bared today at the Cebu Grand Hotel.

The lineup will be headed by WBO number one bantamweight contender Aj “Bazooka” Banal, who will be fighting WBO number two Pungluang Sur Singyo for the vacant WBO world bantamweight title on Oct. 20 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Banal will be joined by fellow ALA Boxing Gym boxers Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista (33-2-0, 25KOs) and Jason “El Niño” Pagara (29-2-0, 18KOs).

The mega-boxing card will be featuring boxers from five different nationalities. They will be facing Filipino boxers from the ALA boxing gym. The boxing card will also have three title fights, one staking the WBO bantamweight world championships in the main event.

Bautista will face Mexican Daniel Ruiz (27-5-1, 19KOs) for the WBO International featherweight title while Pagara will fight Miguel Antoine (17-0-0, 9KOs) of Barbados for the WBO International Jr. welterweight championship.

Bautista’s last bout was against Genaro Garcia held in January in Bohol. The fight was controverial since the Genaro Garcia that arrived in Bohol wasn’t the one organizers picked for Bautista. Bautista disposed the “fake” Genaro Garcia of Mexico in the second round.

Pagara is coming off a sweet revenge victory over his former tormentor Rosbel “Lobo” Montoya of Mexico via a resounding sixth-round TKO.

Ruiz is still recovering from a loss to Australian Will Tomlinson in Melbourne, Australia last May.

Antoine is eyeing a third straight win. He defeated Revlon Lake of Guyana via unanimous decision to win the WBC Caribbean Boxing Federation lightweight title and won against another Guyanian Mark Austin previously. /CORRESPONDENT DALE G. ROSAL