Villanueva to face Indon foe for world featherweight belt

WBO Oriental featherweight champion Lorenzo “Thunderbolt” Villanueva will challenge for the IBO world featherweight crown currently held by Daud Cino Yordan of Indonesia on May 5 in Singapore.

Villanueva, of North Cotabato and Chad Canares, the executive assistant of ALA Promotions President/CEO Michael Aldeguer, are now in Singapore to promote the boxing event.

Villanueva who sports an unbeaten record of 24 wins with 23 knockouts, will go up against Yordan who has a record of 28 wins, 2 losses and 22 knockouts.

Yordan is touted as Villanueva’s toughest test so far. Villanueva recently fought and won over Mexican Diego “Tyson” Ledesma here in Cebu last January and had his last title bout last year for the WBO Oriental featherweight belt.

Yordan knocked out American Frankie Archuleta in the fourth round to claim the vacant IBO Asia Pacific featherweight title last November in Australia.

Villanueva’s bout against Yordan will serve as the co-main event in the card headlined by the title defense of WBA world champion Chris John against Japanese Shoji Kimura for the WBA featherweight title at the Marina Bay Sands Casino in Singapore.

Team Villanueva appeared in a press conference yesterday at the host hotel Marina Bay Sands in Singapore to promote the fight and will immediately fly to Jakarta, Indonesia for another press conference with the Indonesian media today.

ALA Promotions decided to give Villanueva this title shot as part of its mission of helping deserving Filipino fighters to showcase their boxing skills to the world. /CORRESPONDENT DALE G. ROSAL