Loreto battles for vacant IBO crown today

By: 11 years ago

REY “The Hitman” Loreto, the 23-year-old talented pug from Davao City, will gun for the vacant International Boxing Organization (IBO) light flyweight title on Saturday opposite 31-year-old South African Nkosinathi Joyi at the Sporting Monte Carlo.
A professional since the age of 17, Loreto beat world ranked former WBA champion Thai warrior Pornsawan Porpramook via technical decision for the WBA interim Pan Asian Jr. Flyweight title last August in Bangkok, Thailand.
Two years ago, fighting again as a big underdog, Loreto knocked out world-rated Wisanu Kokietgym to annex the Pan Asian Light-Flyweight title.
The IBO, which is not among the four most recognized international boxing associations, is known for an accommodating approach in sanctioning title fights.
The Joyi-Loreto fight is on the undercard of the main bout between unbeaten WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin against American-based Ghanaian Osumanu Adama. /Correspondent Marlon Bernardino