Padua battles Montiel in Mexico
WORLD Boxing Council (WBC) super bantamweight youth Filipino champion Jaderes “Mayon” Padua will face Mexican three-time world champion Fernando Montiel on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) at the Hotel Azul in Ixtapa Guerrero Mexico.
Padua, 22, who holds an 8-2-1 win-loss-draw card with five knockouts, said he would not waste the opportunity given when he fights Montiel (49-2-4 card with 37 knockouts) for the vacant WBC International super bantamweight belt.
Montiel was one of the victims of Filipino fighter Nonito Donaire Jr. He suffered a second-round technical knockout at the hands of Donaire two years ago.
“I’m not the same fighter I used to be. In my previous fights, I have not done well. My retirement is near and my fight against Padua will tell. If I lose, or even if I win with difficulty, it could be my goodbye,” Montiel told philboxing.com.
Cebuano Weng Haya (17-5, 9KO’s) will meet undefeated hard-hitting Miguel “Alacran” Berchelt (18-0, 15KO’s) in another scheduled bout.
Haya, 24, scored back-to-back wins against two Filipinos before receiving an opportunity to fight abroad.