Jake Amparo (left) and his promoter and manager Floriezyl Echavez Podot of the PMI Bohol Boxing Promotions. | Photo from Amparo’s Facebook page.
CEBU CITY, Philippines—- One of PMI Bohol Boxing Stable’s banner boxers, Jake “El Bambino” Amparo, won’t leave a single stone unturned in preparing for the biggest fight of his career.
Amparo is scheduled to fight former world champion Pedro “Kid Heneral” Taduran on December 28, 2023, in the main event of “Kumong Bol-Anon 13” at the Bohol Wisdom School gymnasium in Tagbilaran City, Bohol.
Amparo and Taduran will battle for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) world minimumweight title eliminator in the fight card’s main event. Although Amparo has fought numerous top-caliber opponents, he revealed he hasn’t faced a boxer like Taduran.
“Para nako, naa pa ko mga kulang sa akong skills, pero amo nana gi trabaho ug maayo. Paningkamotan gyud nako ug sa among team nga ma develop ug ma improve ni tanan para sa akong umaabot nga fight,” Amparo told CDN Digital.
The 26-year-old Amparo of Guindulman, Bohol, has a record of 14 wins with three knockouts, four defeats, and one draw.
He slowly climbed the world rankings after racking up significant victories, including his unanimous decision win in Japan against Goki Kobayashi earlier this year. Amparo defeated Kobayashi via a 12-round unanimous decision to earn the WBO Asia Pacific minimumweight title.
Amparo is now ranked No. 3 in the IBF minimumweight division, while Taduran follows him at the No. 4 spot. The winning boxer on December 28 will earn a world title shot against the reigning IBF world minimumweight king, Ginjiro Shigeoka of Japan.
“Importante kaayo ni namo nga fight tungod kay mao ni mag hatag nako ug opportunity maka dula ug world title, pero kaning si champ Taduran, kuyaw gyud ni nga boxer kay dili ni ma world champion kung walay ikabuga. Tested na kaayo ni siya nga fighter ug daghan na experience,” Amparo explained.
Taduran, 27, of Albay Province, has a 15-4-1 (win-loss-draw) record with 12 knockouts.
He once held the IBF world minimumweight belt in 2019 but eventually lost it to fellow Filipino Rene Mark Cuarto in their storied rivalry.
Taduran attempted to reclaim the title twice, losing to Cuarto in both matches from 2021 to 2022.
“Dili gyud mawala ang bati-on ka ug pressure ani nga dula, hinuon, confident ra ko kay buhaton nako ug paningkamotan nako nga modaog aron dili masayang ang paningkamot pud sa akong manager nga mahitabo ni nga dula,” added Amparo.
“Ako ni gi dedicate akong fight sa akong manager ug promoter nga si Floriezyl Echavez Podot kay siya gyud naningkamot sa tanan nga mahatagan ko ani nga opportunity.”
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