Striking at ground game, hahasain ni Zamboanga sa ONE Atomweight

ni Gerard Peter - @Sports | March 28, 2021

Malaki ang paniniwala ni undefeated ONE women’s Atomweight No.1 contender Denice “The Menace” Zamboanga na para mapatunayang isang kampeon, kinakailangang wala itong inaatrasang laban kahit sino man ang itapat o humarang sa landas patungo sa inaasam na tagumpay.

Sapol ng umentra sa mundo ng ONE Championship ay nagsimulang umukit ng pangalan at gumawa ng ingay ang 24-anyos mula Quezon City ng sunod-sunod nitong talunin sa kumpetisyon sina Jihin “Shadowcat” Radzuan ng Malaysia, Japanese legend at dating title contender Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi at Watsipanya “Dream Girl” Kaewkhong ng Thailand upang ipakitang matindi ang paghahangad niyang makuha ang titulo laban sa kasalukuyang kampeon na si Angela “Unstoppable” Lee.

“For me if you’re a real champion, whoever it is, you will accept it,” wika ng Pinay fighter sa ginanap na virtual Media Day nitong Huwebes ng umaga. “I think this is the best way to prove that I really deserve the no.1 ranking and the championship belt,” dagdag ni Zamboanga, na kasalukuyang nagsasanay ng mabuti sa Bangkok, Thailand.

Kinokonsidera ng 5-foot-2 Pinay fighter na pinakamalakas na makakalaban nito sa ONE women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix ang unang makakatapat nito sa Mayo 28 na si dating UFC fighter at Road FC women’s Atomweight champion Seo Hee “Hamderlei Silva” Ham ng South Korea dahil sa malawak na eksperyensya sa larangan ng mixed-martial arts.

“I think she is the biggest challenge for me. I know that she is a well-rounded fighter and I agree that she is the most experience, but I’m going to work with my striking and ground game,” saad ni Zamboanga, na nakikinita niyang pareho sila ng istilo ng pakikipaglaban ni Yamaguchi, ngunit sinabi nitong mas delikado ito mas lamang ito pagdating sa kanyang background dahil sa dami naging laban sa sa iba’t ibang promotional fights tulad ng UFC, DEEP, Smackgirl, ROAD FC at Jewels fighter.

Taekwondo Jin Lopez, seryoso sa ensayo vs. Batikang Olympians

ni Gerard Peter - @Sports | March 27, 2021

Matinding paghahanda ang ginagawa ni two-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalists Pauline Lopez, gayundin ang iba pang mga Olympic hopefuls, para paghandaan ang mga mahihigpit na makakalaban sa darating na Olympic Qualifying Tournament sa darating na Mayo 21-23 sa Amman, Jordan.

Bukod sa pinagdadaanang mahirap na strength and conditioning training, speed kicking drills, paghahasa ng mga techniques at sparring sessions sa loob ng Inspire Sports Academy sa Calamba, Laguna kasama sina national team mates 2016 Olympian Kirstie Elaine Alora, 3-time SEAG champion Samuel Morrison, biennial meet fin weight gold medalist Kurt Bryan Barbosa, at silver medalist Arven Alcantara ng men’s Featherweight), para sa huling Olympic qualifying tournament; tinututukan rin ng 24-anyos na taekwondo practitioner ang pag-aralan ang lahat ng mga maaaring makatapat sa Asian qualifying tournament.

Aminado ang Ateneo de Manila University student na kinakailangan niyang makapasok sa championship round, dahil tanging ang gold at silver medalist lang ang makakatawid patungong 2021 Tokyo Olympics na nakatakdang magbukas simula Hulyo 24-Agosto 8. Masuwerte na ring naitulak ng bahagya ang qualifying tourney upang mas mabigyan pa ng pagkakataon ang mga taekwondo jins na makapaghanda at makapagsanay pa sa nasabing kompetisyon.

“We’re blessed enough that in a way in a sense that our competition is being delayed, but in the same way we have more training time to prepare, so we’re blessed and lucky enough to be sent in the bubble to train physically together with my coaches and my team mates,” pahayag ni Lopez, Huwebes ng umaga sa TOPS: Usapang Sports sa Sports on Air webcast. “We’re taking one step at a time or one day at a time and stiil keeping our goals and dreams at hand, despite the pandemic, despite what’s happening we’re still focusing on our dreams and goals. That’s the beauty po of Taekwondo, we can do it anywhere and my coaches has taught me that if there’s a will, there’s a way. Kaya we’re still training harder pa,” dagdag ni Lopez, kasama sina Nestle Philippines - Milo Assistant Vice President Lester P. Castillo at 1992 Barcelona Olympics bronze medalist Stephen Fernandez sa programang suportado ng Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Games and Amusement Board (GAB) at Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. PAGCOR).

Kinakailangang paghandaang mabuti ng 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games bronze medalist ang kanyang mga makakatunggali na sina Rio Olympics bronze medalist Kimia Alizadeh Zonouzi ng Iran; 2018 Asian Games at 2019 biennial meet bronze medalist Vipawan Siripornpermsak ng Thailand; at 2017 Muju South Korea World championships silver medalist Lin Yi Ching ng Chinese Taipei.

Dalawang beses naunsyami ang pagsasagawa ng Asian qualifying na gaganapin dapat noong Abril 10-11, 2020 sa Wuxi, China, at nailipat noong Hunyo, 2020 sa Amman, Jordan, ngunit tuluyang napostpone dulot ng pagragasa ng coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

Rongvisai, Chocolatito at Estrada, hahamunin din ni Ancajas

ni Gerard Peter - @Sports | March 25, 2021

Tila walang masamang tinapay sa pagitan ni International Boxing Federation super-flyweight champion Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas at ng pamunuan ng Top Rank Promotions sa naging desisyong paglipat ng kampeon sa panig ng Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) na umaasang mas uusad ang boxing career na pansamantalang nabinbin ng halos isang taon.

Inamin ni MP Promotions President at international matchmaker Sean Gibbons na naging maayos ang paghihiwalay ng landas ng 29-anyos mula Panabo, Davao del Norte at ng dating promotional outfit na pinamumunuan ni Bob Arum.

“So basically, there was no issues with Top Rank. The issue is with the visa, the dates the pandemics, like a lot of people had, that was really the deal,” pahayag ni Gibbons sa ginanap na virtual presser nitong Lunes. “So, it took us 7 months to get the visa and arrive here on October, by that time the Top Ranks didn’t really have dates to put it on, they kind a lost interest in things and we have opportunity to join out with Al Haymon and PBC who is very good to all Filipino fighters. We’re still good with Top Rank, we’re still good with Bob Arum, but this opportunity came up and open up things a little too,” paliwanag ni Gibbons, kung saan nakatakda na ngang idepensa ni Ancajas (32-1-2, 22KOs) sa ika-9th title defense kay No.3 contender Jonathan Javier “Titan” Rodriguez ng Mexico bilang undercard match sa Abril 10 na telecast ng Showtime boxing sa Mohegun Sun Arena sa Uncasville, Connecticut sa Estados Unidos.

Tinukoy ni Gibbons na sakaling maging matagumpay sa pagdedepensa si Ancajas sa kanyang titulo kay Rodriguez ay may posibilidad na makakuha ito ng mas mabibigat na kalaban sa bigating junior bantamweight stars na kinabibilangan nina dating WBC at Ring champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai ng Thailand, dating WBA titlist Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez ng Nicaragua at unified WBC/WBA/The Ring title holder Juan Francisco Estrada ng Mexico.

Inamin ni Gibbons na malaki ang tiwala niya na malalampasan ni Ancajas si Rodriguez upang maitulak ang laban kay Rongvisai.