In what could be a major treat, Mark Anthony Barriga will be making his professional debut before Cebuano boxing fans as the Olympian will be seeing action in the second installment Omega Pro Sports International’s (OPSI) ‘Who’s Next?’ Pro Boxing Series slated July 30 at Robinsons Galleria Cebu Atrium.
Barriga, who represented the country in the 2012 London Olympics, was supposed to make his pro debut last month in Manila but the fight was canceled after his opponent fell ill from hepatitis.
The 23-year-old Olympian from Panabo, Davao del Norte has brought honor to the country numerous times.
Barriga was a gold medalist in the 2013 SEA Games in Nepyidaw, Myanmar and in the 2014 Asian Games Bronze in Incheon, South Korea.
Barriga is now with Jason Soong, a Manila-based boxing promoter who partnered with OPSI for Barriga’s professional debut.
“Team Barriga is excited to fly to Cebu for Mark’s debut as a professional boxer. We have full trust and confidence in Omega Pro Sports International in promoting Mark and as I have told Mr. Chad Canares. If all goes well, we will be doing more of this in the future with OPSI not just with Mark Anthony Barriga but with our other fighters as well,” Soong said.
Canares is OPSI’s vice president for promotions. OPSI was elated to have Barriga in its undertaking.
“We would like to thank Team Barriga for their confidence in OPSI. We will do our best to make this an encouraging experience to remember not just for Team Barriga but to the fight fans who support OPSI and its fighters,” Canares said. “We will be announcing Barriga’s opponent in the coming days,” he added.