The opponents of the three ALA Gym fighters seeing action in ALA Promotions International’s first fight card in the US, have been named.
ALA Promotions chief, Michael Aldeguer announced yesterday the names of the three foreign boxers who will fight Jason “El Niño” Pagara, his younger brother “Prince” Albert and unbeaten Boholano Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo in the much-anticipated Pinoy Pride 33: Philippines vs the World on October 17 at the Stubhub Center in Carson, California.
Two-division world champion Donnie “Ahas” Nietes (36-1-4, 21KOs) will headline the card as he defends his WBO light-flyweight belt against WBO No. 8 Juan “Pinky” Alejo (21-3, 13KOs) of Mexico.
Jason Pagara (36-2, 22KOs), the No. 2 ranked light-welterweight by the World Boxing Organization (WBO), locks horns with former WBA super-featherweight Interim title challenger Santos Benavidez (25-7-2, 19KOs) of Nicaragua.
The 33-year-old Benavidez fought for the WBA super-featherweight interim title in 2011 but lost to Costa Rica’s Bryan Vasquez. After that, he suffered five straight losses but rebounded by scoring two successive wins against Jay Krupp whom he knocked out in the 8th round on June 20 this year and Cody Richard whom he stopped in the first round last May 8.
Pagara is also the current WBO International super-lightweight king.
The unbeaten “Prince” Albert (24-0,17KOs), on the other hand, is expected to face his toughest test to date as he tangles with WBA-NABA featherweight titlist William “Chirizo” Gonzalez (27-5, 23KOs) of Nicaragua.
The 21-year-old Pagara, the reigning IBF intercontinental super bantam king, is expected to have his hands full against the 34-year-old Gonzales who has fought the likes of former IBF bantamweight champion Joseph Agbeko of Ghana and former WBC featherweight champ, Jhonny Gonzales of Mexico. He lost in both fights.
Meanwhile, the unbeaten Magsayo (11-0, 9KOs) of Bohol, the IBF youth featherweight ruler defends his belt against Mexican Yardley Suarez (13-0, 8KOs).
Suarez of Sinoloa Mexico knocked out fellow Mexican Juan Beltran in the 9th round last August 14 in his hometown and has won three straight 10-rounders by unanimous decision.
The Pagara brothers along with Magsayo are currently training at the famed Wild Card Boxing Gym of Freddie Roach in Los Angeles. Nietes will follow them this week.