LONE PINOY BOXER IN PACQUIAO-BRADLEY DUEL

PACQUIAO-BRADLEY DUEL


Lone Pinoy in undercard 
has 3-fight losing streak


By Alex P. Vidal


LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- In every policy, there is an exemption. 
According to the Makati-based Games and Amusement Board (GAB), only professional boxers with a three-fight winning streak can be allowed to fight outside the Philippines.
But this rule and regulation adopted during the term of former GAB chair Eduardo Villanueva probably can be set aside if the boxer involved is handpicked by Rep. Manny Pacquio, who will stake his WBO 147-lb crown against Timothy Ray Bradley Jr. on June 9 at the MGM Grand.
The boxer, super bantamweight upstart Ernie Sanchez, is the lone Filipino boxer in the Pacquiao-Bradley undercard.  Sanchez, 20, Pacquiao's provincemate in Mindanao, has lost three fights in a row prior to securing a win on March 17, 2012 that must have "qualified" him to fight Wilton Hilario (12-2-1, 9 KOs)  of St.Louis Park, Minnesota for eight rounds.
Sanchez (12-3, 5 KOs) chalked up the victory against Eman Labanza in Lapu Lapu city, Cebu via second round technical knock out (TKO).
Before defeating Labanza, Sanchez lost three fights in a row against the following:  Edgar Gabejan 10-round unanimous decision for Philippine Boxing Federation (PBF) featherweight title in Lanao del Norte on May 14, 2011; Joseph Von Minoza, 10-round split decision in Davao del Sur on August 27, 2011; and Robert Kopa Palue, 12-round unanimous decision for vacant interim WBO Asia Pacific featherweight title in Maumere, Indonesia.
Since winning his professional debut via first round TKO over Chris Espanola in Bacolod City on August 29, 2008, 20-year-old Sanchez, an orthodox who stands five feet and seven inches, never won a major title in the Philippines. His loss to Gabejan came after 11 straight victories, four by knockouts.
The other undercards in the Pacquiao-Bradley battle for WBO welterweight title promoted by Top Rank are:  Jesus Rojas vs Jorge Arce, 10 rounds featherweight; Mike Jones vs Randall Bailey, 12 rounds for vacant IBF welterweight title; Teon Kennedy vs Guillermo Rigondeaux, 12 rounds for WBA super bantamweight title.
Also in the undercard are: Ryan Grimaldo vs Mikael Zewski, 8 rounds welterweight; Taylor Larson vs Andrew Ruiz, 4 rounds welterweight; and Manuel Eastman vs Jesse Hart, 4 rounds super middleweight.