Taduran, Cuarto brace for all-Filipino title clash

Pedro Taduran’s title defense against Rene Mark Cuarto is bound to happen. As to when and where it’s going to be held remains hanging.

With both sides in agreement as to whatever arrangement MP (Manny Pacquiao) Promotions president Sean Gibbons is going to present, Taduran and Cuarto have raised their level of preparations for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight belt tussle.

Cuarto is in Davao City, training under Nonoy Neri at the MP Boxing Gym, while Taduran is in Bangar, La Union, sweating it out at the Hardstone Monis Boxing Gym with trainer Tacy Macalos.

“[The title duel] is a go, but we don’t know the date and venue yet,” Neri, assistant trainer of Pacquiao who co-trains World Boxing Organization bantamweight champion Johnriel Casimero, said. “It’s up to Mr Sean and the senator (Pacquiao).”

According to Neri, Gibbons wants to stage Taduran-Cuarto in December with General Santos City as a probable site. Pacquiao, however, is considering holding the bout in January because of the prevailing coronavirus pandemic.

Gibbons is in Los Angeles attending to the needs of MP Promotions boxers Jerwin Ancajas, the IBF super flyweight champion, Mark Magsayo, and Eumir Marcial.

The 24-year-old Taduran holds a 14-2-1 win-loss-draw (11 knockouts) slate, barely keeping the 105-pound crown he won over fellow Filipino Samuel Salva last year with a fourth-round technical draw against Mexican Valladares in Guadalupe, Mexico in February.

Cuarto, also 24, is 18-2-2 with 11 knockouts – one of those losses coming from Salva, who was stopped by Taduran in the fourth round.

Other all-Filipino title fights were Pancho Villa against Clever Sencio in 1925, Ancajas against Jonas Sultan in 2018, and Donnie Nietes against Aston Palicte in 2019. – Rappler.com