"WONDERKID" TSO TRANSFERS CAMP IN CEBU

By LITO DELOS REYES

HONG KONG – World Boxing Council Asian Boxing Council super flyweight champion Rex “The Wonder Kid” Tso of Hong Kong has transferred his training camp already in Cebu City at the gym of the newly-crowned WBO World bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales of the Philippines.

The 29-year old Tso is now training with his Filipino trainer Jake Verano at the RWS Gym of Rex “Wakee” Salud in Labangon, Cebu in preparation for his double title-fight with undefeated Japanese Ryuto Maekawa on October 8 at the Convention Towers and Exhibition Center in Hongkong.

Tso will be defending his title and will also vie for the vacant WBO International super flyweight crown against Maekawa, who is still unbeaten with 11 wins and one draw.

Tso also had trained at the RWS Gym during his previous fight for his first title-defense against Korean challenger Young Gil Bae last May 14 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center.

The hard-hitting Tso stopped Young in 2:57 of the fourth round to retain his title and also captured the vacant WBO Asia Pacific super flyweight crown.

“It’s really good to train and spar with Filipinos because they are really good boxers,” said Tso’s manager Jay Lau in an interview by Fight News Asia at his DEF Boxing Gym.

“We hope to spar with world champion Marlon Tapales and the other good Filipino boxers in Cebu,” said Lau.

DEF Boxing gym also has two other Filipino trainers Rey “Delubyo” Megrino of Lopez Jaena, Misamis Oriental and Verano’s younger brother Wariel of Bukidnon.

Tso has also spared already with Megrino and Jake Verano at the DEF gym.

But Tso hopes that he can also spar with Tapales, who recently won the WBO world bantamweight title by knocking out in the sixth round defending champion Pungluang Sor Singyu last July 27 in Ayutthaya, Thailand.

“I know that I can learn something from Tapales and the other Filipino boxers in Cebu,” said Tso.

Tso stopped Brad Hore via a 7^th round technical knockout to capture the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council super flyweight title last August 29, 2015 in Hong Kong.

The Chinese southpaw also earlier took the vacant WBA International super flyweight title by a TKO win against Michael Enriquez on March 7, 2015 in Cotai Arena, Macao.

Tso had also won two other titles – WBO Asia Pacific super flyweight and WBC Asian Boxing Council Continental super flyweight.

Maekawan, on the other hand, previously won against Filipino Bimbo Nacionales via a first round knockout last March 5, 2016 at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.

“He’s young and a good boxer. But I think that I can knock him out,” said Tso.

The 5-foot-7 Tso, who enjoys a two-inch height advantage has scored already a total of 12 knockouts from his 19 straight wins while the 20-year old Maekawa has seven knockouts.