The World Boxing Organization has named top referee Danrex Tapdasan to be the third man in the ring in Jhack Tepora's defense of his WBO Oriental junior featherweight title at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino this Saturday.
Tepora (19-0 with 14KOs) will face Indonesian Yon Armed (14-7) in the main event of Who's Next? 4 Pro Boxing series, Omega Sports’ signature boxing series.
Tapdasan, a lawyer turned boxing referee, is a veteran of 419 bouts and was also the referee when Rex Tso won the WBO international super flyweight title against Hirofumi Mukai just last March 11 in Hong Kong.
At 38, Tapadasan is one of the best referees in the country and is set to receive the Best Referee award in the prestigious Elorde Awards.
Aside from Tapdasan, the WBO also named veteran judges Salven Lagumbay, Edgar Olalo and Edward Ligas as the judges for the bout.
On the other hand, Cebuano referee Tony Pesons will handle the WBO Oriental junior flyweight title bout between Christian Araneta and Demsi Manufoe in the undercard. Tapdasan, Lagumbay and Romar Embodo will judge the fight.
Meanwhile, Kenny Demecillo may have come up short in his title shot against Mark Anthony Geraldo last Saturday in Hong Kong for the WBO Oriental bantamweight title, but the boxer known as Big Heart for his courageous showing in the ring will be bringing home the Best Fight of the Year award for his lung-buster fight against Rambo Lagos in Who's Next 2 last July 30, 2016.
Demecillo, then 11-3-2, had to dig deep against a game Lagos (8-2-2), who showed he wasn't intimidated by the hometown fighter. Both fighters almost ran out of gas as they gave it their all in the final two rounds before Big Heart was declared the winner by close decision.
Arnie Najera scored it 96-94, Edwin Barrientos saw it 96-95, for Demecillo while William Manus saw Lagos winning, 96-94. Demicillo and Ragos will receive the award on March 25, together with the top boxers of the country.