PROFESSIONAL boxing in Southeast Asia is alive and kicking as promoters and stakeholders in Singapore take big steps to join the big boys in the sport.
The Singapore Fighting Championship, one of the most prominent fight promotions in the progressive City State, has been successfully putting up Mixed Martial Arts and boxing in every promotion.
Most of the Southeast Asian boxers coming to Singapore are Thais and Indonesians and now, more Filipino boxers are seen to benefit from the active promotions in the state.
SFC has been getting Filipino MMA teams in its promotions and vows to invite Filipino boxers soon.
“Lagi kaming invited dito ‘pag may MMA events kaya maraming opportunities sa mga fighters natin dito,” said Filipino MMA coach Monith Pabroa of D Elements and Cerberus Fight Club.
On Saturday night at the Foochow Building, SFC’s Arvind Lalwani made pro boxing the main event in the mixed card, featuring Singapore’s Muhamad Ridhwan and Waldo Sabu of Indonesia fighting for the World Boxing Association Asia super featherweight title.
Ridhwan, nicknamed The Chosen Wan, fought hard against the game Sabu in the first round before getting the perfect combo to dispose of the Indonesian via knockout victory.
Won Kim of WBA Asia was on hand to award the belt to Ridhwan, who is being lined up for bigger fights in other world boxing bodies like the Orient Pacific Boxing Federation, one of the oldest boxing organizations in the world.
Also in the card was come-backing Filipino boxer Filipino Jun Talape, who has been living in Singapore for more than two years working as a trainer at Panda Boxing Gym.
Talape, packing a powerful left, succeeded in sowing terror against his opponent Heri Andriyanto right in the first round and treated him as punching bag on the way to a unanimous decision win in their six-round, lightweight bout.
“I have been promoting MMA and boxing for two years now. There is a big prospect for combat sports here in Singapore because we also have great fighters,” said Lalwani, who owns the Juggernaut Fight Gym.
Aside from Ridhwan, who is now undefeated in seven professional fights, Singapore has another top prospect in women’s boxing, Nurshadidah Roslie, who logged her sixth victory in seven fights with a second round stoppage of Thai Nongoum Por Niramon in their
Ridhwan was recently included in the Orient Pacific Boxing Federation at rank no. 15, while Roslie became the top contender for the women’s super featherweight post.
