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By Dong Secuya –

DUBAI, UAE – ALA mainstays Genesis ‘Azukal’ Servania, ‘King’ Arthur Villanueva and comebacking Rey ‘Boom-Boom’ Bautista came face to face with their Latino opponents Thursday afternoon during the press conference and official weighin of ‘Pinoy Pride XXVII’ held at Rocky’s Cafe at the Regent Hotel Palace here, the first international roadshow of the highly successful Pinoy Pride Series, a partnership of ALA Promotions and the Philippines’ largest TV network, ABS-CBN. The fights will be held tomorrow evening, Friday, at the Dubai World Trade Center.

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Servania (L) and Cabrera pose during the weighin.

Servania (24-0-0, 10KO) from Bacolod City, who will defend his WBO Inter-Continental super bantamweight title against Jose ‘Matador’ Cabrera (22-4-2, 10KO) of Mexico, promised to have an impressive win Friday night as he look forward to fight for a world title possibly next year. “We trained hard for this fight for three months and we are very positive for this fight,” Servania said. However, his opponent, Cabrera, had another plan and looked forward to have his hands raised after the battle. “I have all the experience I need to be able to beat Servania,” declared the articulate Cabrera who fought the likes of Omar Narvaez and Tomas Rojas. 

Servania weighed in at 121.4 lbs while Cabrera tipped the scales at 122 lbs, the superbantam weight limit. 

Appearing as a co-feature is Villanueva (25-0-0, 14KO), also from Bacolod City, who will face Henry ‘El Crespo’ Maldonado (19-3-0, 14KO) of Nicaragua for the IBF International junior bantamweight title. Villanueva who is highly rated by all four major boxing organizations, is quietly confident in facing Maldonado who had a difficult time getting the weight limit. Villanueva weighed in at 114.6 lbs while Maldonado came in at 115.8 lbs on his first try but made the weight limit of 115 lbs after perspiring himself with the over 100 degrees farenheit Dubai heat outside of the hotel. 

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Villanueva and Maldonado.

The ever-popular ‘Boom-Boom’ Bautista (35-3-0, 25KO), meanwhile continues his comeback bid against dangerous Mexican banger Juan Jose ‘Piquet’ Martinez (19-1-0, 15KO) for a 10-round super featherweight non title bout. 

Martinez, who endured an 18-hour flight to reach Dubai, said he had great sparring coming in and expect to come out the winner on Friday. “I will go up in the ring with nothing else in mind but to come out the victor… and the winner of this fight is the public because they will see some awesome boxing,” Cabrera said. 

Bautista, for his part, said that he had reviewed Martinez’s fights and that Martinez fights like a bull. “I respect Mexican fighters,” Bautista said. “But come Friday night, the respect will no longer be there,” he added. 

Bautista came in at 129.4 lbs. While Martinez stepped the scales at 131.6 lbs.

 

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Bautista and Martinez

 

ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer as well as ABS-CBN executives Peter Musngi, March Ventosa, Dino Laurena and Maribel Hernaez were proud but at the same time anxious to stage their first international show in Dubai. “This is something big for all of us,” Aldeguer said. This takes years of planning and finally it’s here. We’re looking for bigger shows next year,” Aldeguer said who mentioned putting up shows, aside from Dubai, also in Abu Dhabi, Qatar and of course in California where ALA Promotions had already been licensed. 

“The experience is like delivering a child,” Musngi, ABS-CBN’s Vice-President, Intergrated Sports Division, said, when asked how he feels about he feels about their first big international project. “You get excited but anxious.” 

On the eve of ‘Pinoy Pride XXVII’ however, all indications point to the successful staging of the event as tickets have almost sold out. 

Spicing out the night on the undercard are local based boxers headed by Larry Abarra, a Filipino who fights out of the Round 10 Boxing Club of Dubai, will face Chatpayak Nuengkawkawhok of Thailand in a four round superbantamweight bout. Abarra came in at 121.8 lbs while Nuengkawkawhok weighed in at 120.6 lbs. 

Kizito Deo of Uganda will be pitted against Anusher Abdullaev of Uzbekistan in a four round welterweight clash. Kizito weighed in at 142 lbs while Abdullaev stepped the scales at 147 lbs. 

Junior welterweights Mohammad Akram of Syria and Thailand’s Kong Windy Sports will fight in another four rounder. Akram is also based in Dubai’s Round 10 Boxing Club. Akram weighed in at 140.6 lbs Kong Windy came in at 140.6 lbs.

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L-R: TFC Regional Marketing Head for Middle East and Europe Maribel Hernaez, ABS-CBN Vice President for Sports Peter Musngi, ALA Promotions President Michael Aldeguer, ABS-CBN Head of Management March Ventosa and ABS-CBN Head of Intergrated Sports Dino Laurena.

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WBO Vice President Leon Panoncillo (R, above photo) will supervise the main event fight between Servania and Cabrera for the WBO Inter-Continental super bantamweight title while IBF’s Onesmo Ngowi will supervise the fight between Arthur Villanueva and Henry Maldonado for IBF International junior bantamweight title. 

The first fight will start at 7:00 p.m. Friday night at the Dubai World Trade Center and will be broadcast live in the Philippines by pay per view and will replayed by ABS-CBN Saturday night.

http://philboxing.com/news/story-98578.html

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Fight fans can get a glimpse into the first major promotion outside the Philippines of the famed ALA Promotions as they team up with the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN and its widely watched global network TFC or The Filipino Channel when Viva Sports features the “Duel in Dubai” on its top-rated weekly boxing show “The Main Event” on PBO over Sky Cable at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday with a replay at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.

The fight card features three of ALA Gym’s most exciting fighters led by nundefeated WBO Intercontinental super bantamweight champion Genesis “Azukal” Servania, charismatic junior lightweight Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista hot on the comeback trail and undefeated King Arthur Villanueva against tough and tested opponents from Mexico and Nicaragua, known hotbeds of boxing in Latin America.

ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer said the “Duel in Dubai” promises to be a deadly battle that is expected to thrill the large community of Filipinos in the United Arab Emirates.

The special will feature brief interviews with the ALA fighters, short training clips and highlights of some of their fights and those of their opponents.

Servania’s opponent Jose “Matador” Cabrera has fought some of the big names including WBO super flyweight champion Omar Andres Narvaez and WBC champion Tomas Rojas.

Highlights of the Cabrera-Narvaez fight and the WBO super flyweight clash between Cabrera and unbeaten Daniel “Bad Boy” Rosas which ended in a split draw will highlight the special which will also include glimpses of Servania’s fights against former WBA super flyweight champion Alexander Munoz and his 2nd round TKO of Rafael “El Torito” Concepcion of Panama.

Bautista faces one of the toughest opponents in his comeback bid in the person of WBC Mundo Hispano champion Jose Juan “Piquet” Martinez who has an awesome record of 15 knockouts in 19 wins with only one defeat.

Fight fans will get to see highlights of Martinez’ thrilling battle with Carlos “Torito” Jimenz and Nicaragua’s WBO Fedbol super flyweight champion Henry “El Crespo” Maldonado in action against Fernando Aguilar and Liborio Solis.

Short training footage of Maldonado who clashes with King Arthur Villanueva will also spice up the special.

The fights will be telecast by ABS-CBN on Saturday, September 6.

http://philboxing.com/news/story-98376.html

ALA Promotions is set to embark into a Philippine-wide tour starting this November.

People from the provinces all over the Philippines will finally get the opportunity to meet the ALA Stars Two-division World Champion Donnie “Ahas” Nietes, WBO World # 1 and world championship bound AJ “Bazooka” Banal, IBF World # 4 Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista, WBO World # 1 Milan “El Metodico” Melindo, WBO International Jr. Welterweight Champion Jason “El Nino” Pagara, WBO Asia Pacific Champion Genesis “Azukal” Servania and WBA #2, WBA and WBO # 3 Rocky Road Warrior” Fuentes will take part of this tour in selected provinces throughout Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

ALA STARS PROVINCIAL TOUR is part of ALA Promotions way of giving back to the nationwide boxing fans that have supported the ALA Boxing Stars and have successfully made the Pinoy Pride boxing series featured on ABS-CBN Channel 2 the number 1 Sunday daytime television program for the 5th straight time.

The Pinoy Pride boxing mega series on television has beaten regular Sunday daytime ratings frontrunners, ASAP 2012, Kapuso Movie Festival, The Buzz and other celebrity driven television programs on television putting out double figure ratings way ahead of the aforementioned shows.

The ALA STARS PROVINCIAL TOUR likewise aims to give the loyal Filipino boxing fans the chance to see their favorite ALA boxing champions in the flesh.

This ALA Promotions roadshow will allow the people in the provinces to experience live quality action between the ALA Stars against international competition in action packed non-title match-ups.

These boxing bouts are to prepare the ALA Stars for the bigger Pinoy Pride world-class events in the future that will surely be a treat for boxing fans and would be fans alike in the selected provinces where the ALA STARS TOUR make stops.

“This is ALA Promotions and our fighters way of saying thank you to the loyal boxing fans from the far provinces that have supported us through the years and has contributed to the remarkable ratings of Pinoy Pride” Said ALA Promotions President and CEO Michael Aldeguer.