Ana Julaton’s ring return is a make-or-break situation, says promoter

 

MANILA, Philippines – Even as Ana Julaton’s return to the boxing ring is seen as cause for celebration, her promoter sees it as a make-or-break junction in her prizefighting career.

After spending most of her 2014 inside a mixed martial arts cage, Julaton (13-4-1, 2 knockouts) makes a comeback to the sport that catapulted her to the pinnacle of success.

The 34-year-old “Hurricane” is booked to square off with Yolanda Segura (16-9, 10 KOs) in a rematch that takes place at the Hotel Holiday Inn in Durango, Mexico on March 6.

Both ladies first crossed paths in May 2012 when Julaton scored a lopsided decision victory over Segura with three 100-90 marks across the board.

According to her handler Allan Tremblay, Julaton’s second encounter against Segura will serve as a standard of measure to determine if she is still within the top-caliber rank in boxing.

“This fight is the first for Ana in a boxing ring in a very long time. It is an opportunity to be with an opponent whom we know will give us the rounds we need to determine where Ana is at this stage of the game,” he stressed during an interview with Rappler.

Julaton was last seen wearing eight-ounce boxing gloves in November 2013 when she routed Perla Hernandez via majority decision, but she remained active in the fight scene by inking an exclusive contract with ONE Fighting Championship, an international MMA promotion based in Singapore.

Meanwhile, boxing coach Angelo Reyes believes that Segura is the perfect opponent to determine if his valued Filipino-American ward is still worthy of high-profile bouts in the future.

Following her disappointing defeat to Julaton nearly three years ago, Segura stayed busy as a hard-hitting puncher in the squared-circle, winning seven of her next 12 matches.

“Yolanda Segura has some advantages in the rematch since she is the much larger fighter and has also been active in boxing. Ana hasn’t been in the ring in over a year. Plus, she has everything to gain and nothing to lose. We are anticipating a stronger and more seasoned Segura in this rematch,” Reyes said.

Tremblay disclosed that if Julaton performs impressively in March, he is willing to work towards securing a word title shot for her again.

“That is very possible, but I need to see where Ana is after this absence. We have to see how she looks on March 6 and then how she feels after that. Angelo, her and I will then make that determination,” he shared.

Mexico’s Jackie Nava holds the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association (WBA) titles, while her compatriot Yulihan Alejandra Luna Avila owns the International Boxing Federation-version of the super bantamweight’s top prize.

On the other hand, Argentineans Marcela Eliana Acuña and Yesica Patricia Marcos possess the World Boxing Organization and WBA regular belts respectively.

Julaton has been vocal of her desire to lock horns with Nava, who is considered one of the top faces of women’s boxing today.

Tremblay affirmed that there were negotiations between him and Nava’s camp, but he turned it down for lack of lead time.

“I just turned down a fight on February 28 with Nava going up against Ana for the WBC title due to the lack of lead time. It would make sense for later in the year when Ana has a chance to get the rust off, and we have the proper amount of lead time to promote the contest,” Tremblay stated.

Tremblay on Bob Arum

Julaton told Rappler this past December that she and Tremblay are in talks with Top Rank Promotions chief Bob Arum for a bout in Macau, China on March 7 as part of the event which is headlined by a flyweight championship clash between Amnat Ruenroeng and Zou Shiming.

However, Julaton received a notice from matchmaker Bruce Trampler in January that she is no longer part of the aforementioned affair as the boxing promotion would like to include her in its planned trip to Manila in early 2015.

Tremblay had a different take on Top Rank’s move as he indirectly revealed that Arum is no longer too keen on Julaton.

“Mr. Arum always promises to get back to us, but he never does in regard to a bout with Ana. I think that ship has sailed. In my absence from the sport, I was seeking opportunities for Ana on other promoter’s cards and he was just one of them,” he said.

Despite Julaton’s hectic schedule in the combat limelight, Tremblay finds no issue over the Pinay pugilist’s decision to continue her MMA stint as the Canadian promoter freely allowed her to compete in both disciplines.

“She is doing well in MMA. She loves the sport and wants to be a world champion in both MMA and boxing. She seems fluid in both fields from my perspective. I think she should continue with both for now and see where it takes her,” Tremblay ended. – Rappler.com