Dapudong fights for IBO crown today

EDRIN “The Sting” Dapudong of the Braveheart Boxing Stable of North Cotabato will face South African Gideon Buthelezi today for the vacant International Boxing Organization (IBO) superflywieght title at the Emperor’s Palace in Gauteng, South Africa.

Johannesburg Time is six hours behind Manila and the protagonists will most probably meet in the ring on early dawn Sunday (Nov. 11) here in the Philippines.

Dapudong (27W-4L-1D, 15 KOs) is accompanied by former North Cotabato Gov. Manny Pinol and Aljoe Jaro who has assisted Dapudong in his training. Jaro e-mailed this writer about what he thinks about Dapudong’s chances in winning another world title for the country.

“Daku akong pag asa nga makuha namu ni. Kay sa training naku gihimo kay Dapudong daghan ang bag-o. Hinaot nga mahimo nya tanan ang among gipraktisan,” Jaro said. (We have a good chance of winning this title. Dapudong did a lot of new things in training. I hope he can do all of what we practiced.)

This will be the second attempt for Dapudong to win a world title belt. Last year, he was stopped by Hernan “Tyson” Marquez of Mexico in three rounds. If Dapudong wins, he will be the first boxer from the province of North Cotabato to win a world title belt.

Buthelezi (12W-3L, 4 KOs), meanwhile, is a former IBO minimuweight and light flyweight champion. /Correspondent Rene Bonsubre Jr.