MEGRINO EYES KO VS. BUTAR-BUTAR IN HONGKONG

Rey “Delubyo” Megrino (left) of the Philippines and Jason Butar Butar of Indonesia during their weigh-in. (Photo by BRICO SANTIG)

By LITO DELOS REYES

FORMER WBC International flyweight champion Rey “Delubyo” Megrino of the Philippines wants a knockout win against Indonesian Jason Butar Butar in their 10-rounder bout on October 8 at the Convention Towers and Exhibition Center in Hong Kong.

“Kung puede ko siyang i-knockout gagawin ko upang makakuha ako ng laban muli sa championship,” said the 30-year old Megrino.

Megrino (22 wins-20 losses, 4 draws, 19 KOs) last saw action on April 1 when he settled a split draw with Jonathan Baat for the interim OPBF bantamweight title in Bacolod City.

“Gusto ko rin magpakita ng magandang laban dahil Top Rank din ang promoter nito,” said Megrino of the Highland Boxing Gym from La Trinidad, Benguet.

The native of Lopez Jaena, Misamis Occidental has been training early in Hong Kong at the DEF Boxing Gym for more than a month.

Megrino also sparred with undefeated WBC Asian Boxing Council super flyweight champion Rex Tso (19-0), who will be fighting unbeaten Japanese Ryuto Maekawa (11-0-1) in the main event also for the vacant WBO International super flyweight title.

The 28-year old Butar Butar (21W-18L-1L-14KOs), on the other hand, has won his last two fights. He first beat Dobrak Arter on points last August 16 before whipping Julio dela Basez last Sept. 6 both in Jakarta.

“Hindi rin puede mag kumpiyansa si Rey kay Butar Butar,” said manager Brico Santig of Highland.

Meanwhile, two other Filipino boxers Jay “Rapido” Solmiano (18W-3L-1D-14KOs) of Catanduanes and Jerope “Nino de Oro” Mercado (27W-8L-3D) of Cagayan de Oro City are also seeing action in the undercard of the boxing presentation of the Top Rank and DEF Promotions.

Solmiano, current interim WBO Asia Pacific super lightweight title holder, will face welterweight Chaloemporn Sawatsuk (17W-1L-0D-13KOs) of Thailand while Mercado battles undefeated super featherweight Paul “Showtime” Fleming (22W- 14KOs) of Australia.

The 29-year old Solmiano previously won by a TKO against Jumbo Oda Nobunaga last May 14 also in Hong Kong, while Sawatsuk is coming from a knockout loss to Azizbek Abdugofurov for the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council middleweight title last July 23 in Singapore.

Fleming, 28, captured the vacant WBC Continental Americas super featherweight title via a unanimous decision against Miguel Angel Gonzales last April 23 in Cebu while 36-year old Mercado lost by a TKO to Miguel Roman in his last fight held July 9 in Mexico.