For the trainers of “King” Arthur Villanueva, the upcoming fight against WBC world bantamweight champion Luis “Pantera” Nery may be the boxer’s last shot at reviving his boxing career.
ALA Boxing Gym’s matchmaker and trainer Edito Villamor said Villanueva is in the twilight of his career, and it showed after he lost two recent world title bouts. This means it is important that he wins his fight on Nov. 4 (Nov. 5 Philippine Time) in Mexico.
“We consider this a championship fight for Arthur even though it’s only for 10 rounds,” Villamor said. “He must win this fight because this is his last chance for bigger fights.”
Villanueva holds a 31-2-0 (win-loss-draw) record with 17 knockout wins while Nery is unbeaten in 24 fights with 18 victories via knockout.
Villanueva and his team arrived in Tijuana, Mexico, on Sunday.
The 28-year-old Bago City, Negros Occidental native Villanueva lost to Mcjoe Arroyo last 2015 for the vacant IBF world super flyweight title. He again got defeated by Zolani Tete last April for the WBO bantamweight title.
Villanueva is considered an underdog against the unbeaten Nery, but Villamor believes his ward can pull off an upset.
“He has a big chance for this fight. This is survival of the fittest. They are both brave and are both capable of a knockout victory. Arthur’s chance (of winning) this fight depends on weather he can land the first knockout punch before Nery does the same,” said Villamor.
Villanueva is actually coming from a victory over Richie Mepranum last September in Cebu City. Nery, meanwhile, defeated in his last fight by Japanese Shinsuke Yamanaka to win the WBC world bantamweight title.