World News – UK – Gaballo: Some really good bantam weights, I want to be considered one of the best

Reymart Gaballo must have the feeling of having flown around the sun in order to get back where it started.

The next step in the career of the undefeated bantamweight competitor from General Santos City, Philippines comes this weekend when he competes against former playlist Emmanuel Rodriguez. Their makeshift main event, put together less than two weeks ago, is making headlines live this Saturday at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut via a triple header televised on Showtime.

A tentative bantamweight title is at stake in the main event of the evening, exactly the opportunity Gaballo expected earlier this summer. That fight – against Juan Carlos Payano, who competes against Gary Antonio Russell in the evening’s opening competition – fell apart due to a positive COVID test by the 24-year-old Filipino who has not fought since last December.

When the phone rang to take this fight on short notice in place of compatriot Nonito Donaire, the question was never considered.

« When they said I could replace Nonito Donaire, I didn’t hesitate to say yes, » Gaballo told BoxingScene. com. « I should be on 1. August against Juan Carlos Payano, but this fight was canceled. Then it was Jose Velasquez (on Saturday’s show’s map) before they asked me to fight Rodriguez. ”

Gaballo (23-0, 20KOs) was preparing for the Chilean Velasquez (28-6-2, 19KOs) for the show’s opening fight on Saturday. The fight reached the schedule after a change in the line-up, as Nordine Oubaali canceled his planned defense of the bantamweight title against Donaire. A revised triple header was offered in which Rodriguez was brought from standby status to the main event.

Gaballo received the same upgrade when Donaire failed, and the years of waiting for his next fight was well worth the downtime.

« It’s been a year and a week since my last fight, but I’ve honestly never stopped training, not even because of the pandemic, » notes Gaballo, who knocked out his last five opponents before his Showtime debut. « I just stayed at the gym and kept in shape even when there wasn’t a fight [planned]. ”

A win on Saturday puts Gaballo in line to win the real bantamweight title and compete against some of the best fighters in the world.

«. “There are some really good bantam weights out there, and I want to be considered one of the best. You have Naoya Inoue, Nonito Donaire and John Riel Casimero.

“These are the people I imagine fighting in the future. I know them and have dealt with them so I look forward to being included in this group of names with a win. ”

Reymart Gaballo, Emmanuel Rodríguez, Nonito Donaire, World Boxing Council, Bantamweight