ARQ Boxing Stable’s boxers and coaching staff strike a pose during the “Engkwentro Kwatro” fight card last March 19, 2022 in Cebu City. | Contributed Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines— High risk, high reward.
This is the path the ARQ Boxing Stable wants to take after seeing the huge potential of their boxers in the recent “Engkwentro Kwatro” boxing event held last March 19, 2022 at the Alta Vista Golf and Country Club in the hills of Barangay Pardo, here.
ARQ Boxing Stable’s strength and conditioning coach Roger Justine Potot is confident enough that his prized wards can become world champions early in their careers.
Potot, in an interview with CDN Digital, said that they want to pattern their boxers with Japanese world champions, who, at an early stage of their respective careers, already dominated their weight classes.
“We want our boxers to become successful, becoming world champions even at the early stage of their careers. We want to take a different path compared to other stables, who want to build their boxers differently. We want to test our boxers constantly to see if they have what it takes to become a world champion,” said Potot.
Last March 19, ARQ Boxing Stable’s John Paul Gabunilas (6W-1L, 5KOs) stunned the more experienced and world-rated Clyde Azarcon (17W-4L-1D, 6KOs) of Big Yellow Boxing gym by scoring a first-round technical knockout in the co-main event.
ARQ Boxing Stable’s strength and conditioning coach Roger Justine Potot (left) and OPBF Youth light flyweight champion John Paul Gabunilas (right). | Contributed Photo
April Jay Abne (8-1, 4KOs) also knocked out Garen Diagan (8-2, 4KOs) in the fifth round of their highly anticipated rematch in the main event.
Two of their prospects, Bryan James Wild (7-0, 6KOs), and former Philippine Team member Remel Macado Jr. (1-0, 1KO) also scored impressive victories during fight night.
“We want to expose our boxers to tougher opponents early in their boxing career instead of pitting them to mismatched opponents. It’s one of our ways to see if they’re capable to become a world champion or not. We want to pit them with an evenly matched opponent from other stables here and outside Cebu, so we can further build their experience, not just their confidence and their record. We want them to become a world champion early,” added Potot.
With only nine bouts, the 21-year old Gabunilas of Barangay Pardo has already clinched the Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) Youth light flyweight title.
Meanwhile, Abne, at nine fights, already holds the OPBF silver flyweight title.
These two boxers proved what Potot is trying to say that becoming world champions early is possible.
Potot also revealed that they’re planning to promote four fight cards this year. Their next fight card, Engkwentro Singko is tentatively scheduled on May 21.
/bmjo
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