Fuentes defends title Aug. 20

ROCKY Fuentes of Mambaling, Cebu City will make the fourth defense of his Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) flyweight title on Aug. 20 in Osaka, Japan against hometown boy and WBC No. 10 flyweight Hirofumi Mukai.

Fuentes (28W-6L-2D, 17 KOs) has made two successful OPBF title defenses in Japan since winning the crown by majority decision against Masafumi Okubo in Tokyo last March 9, 2010. His third defense was at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino last November 2010, stopping Thai Inthanon Sithchamuang in two rounds.

Fuentes, who fights out of the ALA gym, is ranked in the top 10 of the four major boxing sanctioning bodies — WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO.

Mukai (5W-0L) is undefeated but is less experienced. All of his wins came by decision and his last victory was in February 2011 against world-ranked Filipino Sony Boy Jaro.

Mukai also posted a points win over Jin-Man Jeon of South Korea the same Jeon who was knocked out by Milan Melindo in two rounds last year at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.

Fuentes vs. Mukai will be held at Osaka’s Sumiyoshi Ward Center. /Correspondent Dale Rosal