Two exciting young prospects will battle for the WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight title on August 11 in a fight card that will be covered by GMA TV Network for its top-rated sports show “ALL SPORTS” telecast Sundays at 9:30 a.m. over GMA News TV 11.
The fight card is promoted by Joven Sports Promotions owned by the young and hard working Joven Jimenez. Aside from being a promoter himself, Jimenez also juggles his activities in boxing as a manager and trainer at the Top Contender Boxing Gym based in Muntinlupa City. Some of Top Contender’s notable boxers include the WBO World No. 2 Froilan Saludar, RP 140 lb. champion Adones Cabalquinto and former WBO Asia Pacific Youth champ Jerwin Ancajas.
Vincent “Popeye” Palicte, who is presently managed by Jason Soong of Planet Jupiter Boxing Gym in Makati City is looking good in training but is expected to have his work cut out for him against Frederix Rodriguez, a brawler who packs a big punch from the town of Maramag in the province of Bukidnon in Mindanao. At present, Rodriguez is engaged in a high-altitude training in Baguio City under the tutelage of the Highland Boxing Gym based in the Summer Capital of the Philippines.
Palicte has a record of 14-3-1 with 7 knockouts while Rodriguez has a record of 8-2-1 with 6 knockouts which indicate that this championship battle will be a classic fight between a technical boxer/puncher in Palicte and the big puncher in Rodriguez.
Palicte, born in the boxing-rich Bago City in Negros Occidental, was at one time an amateur national boxing champion and was at one point in time one win away to qualify for the Olympic Games. As a professional fighter, he won the vacant WBC International title on September 12, 2009 at the San Andres Sports Complex outpointing Carlo Magale. He lost that title in his first defense three months later, in a fight held at the backyard of his challenger, Carmelo Ballone of Belgium.
Palicte who is 26 years old is nicknamed “Popeye”. He had two fights this year beating Ryan Soliveres by 4th round knockout in a scheduled ten round bout on March 11 and scoring another big KO win over Renan Branzuela last July 10.
Rodriguez, 23, has won all of his first seven fights, five of which were big knockouts in either the first or the second round. In his most recent fight, Rodriguez blasted away John Paul Apolinario in the very first round on his way to another KO victory in the opening round. That fight was held in Bukidnon only last April 28 this year.
The supporting bouts in this fight card are stacked with young prospects trying to carve their own name in the Philippine boxing scene. Jerwin Ancajas (13-1-1, 5 KOs) will exchange leathers with John Paul Bautista (10-6-1, 4 KOs) in a 10-round super flyweight match. Undefeated Aston Palicte (9-0-0, 7 KOs), Vincent’s younger brother will be tested by Mark Joseph Costa (4-5-2, 1 KO), the latter being the last opponent of the late Karlo Maquinto. Benezer Alolod (10-4-2, 1 KO) will fight fellow young prospect Noli Morales (9-1-0, 3 KOs).