Mancio, foe make weight; duel today

PHILIPPINE lightflyweight champion Jerson “Smooth Operator” Mancio and his Japanese opponent Naoya Inoue will battle for the vacant Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) light flyweight title today after both successfully passed the official weigh-in held yesterday in Tokyo, Japan.

The 26-year old Mancio weighed in at 107.5 pounds while his opponent tipped the scales at 108 lbs.

“I’m in great shape and in perfect condition. I’ve made my weight easily so I can say that I’m ready to fight him (Inoue),” said Mancio in an interview with Cebu Daily News.

According to Mancio, he already watched and studied the fight tapes of Inoue through the internet and described the latter as an average boxer as he expressed confidence that he can beat the undefeated Japanese boxer who sports a record of 4-0, with 3KOs.

For Mancio, his win over Inoue will break his losing streak in his campaign in Japan. His first two appearances in Japan ended up in huge disappointments.

Last March 2012, he lost via eighth-round knock-out to Junichi Ebusouka. A month before that, he suffered a fourth-round knockout to Ryo Miyazaki.

“I always keep in mind that this is a rare opportunity so I’ll do my best to win because all of my previous fights here in Japan were not that good,” Mancio added who sports a professional fight record of 18 wins, 3 losses and 3 draws with 9 knockouts.

He is accompanied in Japan by ALA Boxing Gym trainer Edmund Villamor and Franklin Albia. Villamor said Mancio is very excited to fight Inoue which is a positive sign.

Mancio, who is a regular protagonist in the ALA-Cobra Tunay Na Lakas fight cards, will try to follow the footsteps of OPBF flyweight champion Rocky “The Road Warrior” Fuentes, who has defeated rated Japanese boxers in his long campaign in the Land of the Rising Sun.