Mangubat faces Suarez for WBA Asia Super featherweight title

Tomjune Mangubat (left) and Charly Suarez (right). | Facebook photos

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Omega Boxing Gym’s hard-hitting Tomjune “Wardog” Mangubat has been tapped to fight Olympian Charlie Suarez for the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) Asia Super featherweight title on March 5, 2022 in Manila.

According to VSP Promotions, the boxing outfit putting up the fight, the WBA already approved the bout through an announcement on its social media page on Monday, January 4, 2022. 

The initial opponent of Suarez was journeyman Roldan Aldea (16-8-1, 9KOs), but the latter was forced to withdraw from the scheduled regional title due to injury.  Mangubat was then tapped as the replacement. 

The 24-year-old Mangubat, will try to stretch his four-fight winning streak against the heavily-favored Suarez, who vied in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Mangubat has a record of 15 wins with 12 knockouts along with two losses and one draw. He defeated Big Yellow Boxing Gym’s top prospect Allan Villanueva via knockout in December 10 at the IPI compound in Mandaue City.

Before that, he edged Ernie Sanchez, Ryan Maano, and Reymond Empic, to bounce back convincingly from his split decision loss to Korean Jong Seon Kang for the vacant WBO  Oriental Youth Feather title in Vietnam in 2019. 

Meanwhile, the 33-year old Juarez, who is also a silver medalist in the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, will get his mettle tested by facing a top-caliber opponent in Mangubat.

He has an unbeaten record of nine wins with six knockouts. Suarez fought five times last year. His most previous bout against Delmar Pellio on December 4 at the Elorde Complex in Parañaque City finished with a lopsided unanimous decision victory. 

He won against Lorence Rosas, Eduardo Mancito, Pablito Canada, and Jonjon Estrada last year.

/bmjo

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