Omega Pro Sports International eyes quarterly ‘Who’s Next?’ fight cards in 2018
Omega Pro Sports International (OPSI) has proved itself to be one of the premier boxing promotions in the country after staging five successful fight cards via its “Who’s Next?” boxing series in a span of two years.
This year, the Cebu-based boxing outfit has a lot more in store for boxing fans.
According to OPSI President Pio Paulo Castillo, OPSI is planning to stage four fight cards this year under the “Who’s Next?” series pitting Omega Boxing Gym’s young and talented boxers.
Castillo said OPSI is planning to stage one fight card per quarter.
“We are straight forward in our objective to become a boxing outfit in a world class level,” Castillo said. “For 2018, we want to compete with the best of the best in boxing and produce world champions.”
Among the boxers OPSI is planning to promote is reigning WBO intercontinental featherweight champion Jhack “El Capitan” Tepora, who is unbeaten in 21 bouts and ranked number six in the WBO featherweight division.
Castillo said they received several fight offers from foreign promoters to pit the 24-year-old Tepora against one of their boxers following his impressive first-round knockout victory against IBO world featherweight champion Lusanda Komanisi last September 22, 2017 in South Africa.
Castillo said they are planning to accept one of the offers this year.
“We are planning to let him fight abroad and give him big fights this year but we don’t have a final decision yet on which of these offers we will be accepting,” said Castillo.
‘The Bomb’
Aside from Tepora, Castillo also revealed that WBO oriental light flyweight champion Christian “The Bomb” Araneta (14-0-0, 12KOs) may also see action after he was already given the green light from his doctors to return to action after suffering torn muscle tissue in his right shoulder prior to his fight last year.
Araneta underwent an eight-month rehabilitation last year for his injury.
“He (Araneta) is fully recovered and we were given a go signal that he can fight again but we don’t want to rush him. We want to take it one step at a time. First off, we will let him train and give him a tune-up fight before we can give him a tough test,” Castillo said.
OPSI spent more than P300,000 in medical expenses for Araneta.
Other boxers that OPSI will be featuring this year are Tomjune “War Dog” Mangubat (9-0-0, 8KOs), Philippine Boxing Federation (PBF) bantamweight champion Jahleel “Iron Chin” Payao (16-1-0, 9KOs), and Kenny “Big Heart” Demecillo (13-4-2, 7KOs).
OPSI vice president Jerome Calatrava said the “Who’s Next?” fight cards will not only focus on Omega Boxing Gym’s top boxers but also other young boxing prospects.
Meanwhile, Castillo and Calatrava feted Omega Boxing Gym’s top performing boxers for 2017 in a gathering last Tuesday at the Manggahan restaurant.
The “Knockout of the Year” award went to Tepora for his knockout victory against Kumanisi. OPSI also cited Carlo Bacaro (most improved boxer), Jason Canoy Manigos (leadership award), Payao (fight of the year award) for his fight against Yu, and Mangubat (boxer of the year) for winning all of his three fights last year.