Clyde Azarcon. | Contributed Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Big Yellow Boxing Gym’s chief trainer, Christopher “Ping-Ping” Tepora is confident his boxer, Clyde Azarcon is in tip-top shape mentally and physically for Saturday’s “Kumong Bol-Anon X” in Guindulman town, Bohol.
Tepora didn’t leave a single stone unturned in training Azarcon in his fight against one of PMI Bohol Boxing Stable’s top prospects, Jake “El Bambino” Amparo for the Philippine Games & Amusements Board minimumweight title in the main event.
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Family problems
Tepora, in an interview with CDN Digital, said that Azarcon had family problems which affected his training and performance.
It resulted in three straight defeats last year, starting with a first-round knockout in the hands of ARQ Boxing Stable’s John Paul Gabunilas in Cebu.
Azarcon went on to lose a bigger bout, against Lito Dante in the same year for the World Boxing Foundation (WBF) International minimumweight title via a fourth-round technical knockout in Paranaque City.
Worse, Azarcon suffered another knockout defeat against Japanese Yuga Ozaki in Osaka, Japan last December.
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Second chance
Still, Tepora and Big Yellow Boxing Gym owner Seth Tio are giving Azarcon a chance to prove himself by taking on Amparo.
“Ready na si Clyde, over na lang siya og one pound. Na ing-ato to si Clyde tungod naa siya family problem, pero nahusay na karon. Naapektuhan jud siya ato, pero karon focus na kaayo siya ug andam na siya,” said Tepora.
(Clyde is ready, he is over one pound. Clyde was like that because he was facing a family problem, but it had already been resolved. He was really affected by it, but know he is really focused and ready.)
Despite the series of losses, Azarcon remained No. 4 in the Philippine ranking in his weight division.
According to Tepora, they trained for a month for this fight at the Big Yellow Boxing Gym in Barangay Guadalupe, here.
Azarcon has a record of 17 wins with six knockouts with six losses and one draw.
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Meanwhile, Amparo has a 12-4-1 (win-loss-draw) record with 2 knockouts.
Azarcon’s style
For Tepora, Azarcon’s style fits very well against Amparo’s technical style of fighting, which will be their key advantage to upset the Boholano boxer in the “Kumong Bol-anon X”.
“Para sad nako, di tantong maglisud si Clyde niya, pautokay. Di sad ingon nga naay kusog. Akong tan-aw naay chance si Clyde. Ako sad siya gipasparring ni Carlo Demecillo nga kusog ug utukan pud moduwa,” said Tepora.
(For me, Clyde will not find it difficult, when it comes to mental side. He (the foe) is not really that strong. The way I look at it, Clyde has a chance. I also had him spar with Carlo Demecilla who is fast and crafty fighter.)
“Kung modaog si Clyde, naa pa mi daghan plano para niya. Usa sa rason among gidawat ang offer sa PMI para makita namo kung angay pa ba siya mofight ug naa pa ba siya focus sa boxing. Pero sa akong nakita, kugihan man kaayo siya ug focus kaayo para ani nga fight,” Tepora said.
(If Clyde will win, we have many plans for him. One of the reasons that we received the offer of PMI so that we can see if he is capable to fight and if he still has his focus on boxing. But the way I see it, he is hardworking and very focused for this fight.)
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