by Jaime K. Pimentel
Asia-Pacific and Intercontinental lightweight champion Ranee Ganoy will be only one bout away from a world lightweight championship if he disposes of Mexico’s Julio Diaz, rated 4th in the IBF (International Boxing Federation) world rankings on April 18.
The fight will be a world title ”eliminator” staged in Dubai, with the winner challenging the IBF world lightweight champion Juan Diaz for the crown.
Ganoy has been based in Sydney, Australia, for three years, earning a reputation as the fight-game’s feared “KO” kid from the Philippines.
The Ganoy-Diaz match was stitched up during the controversial split-draw decision between former world flyweight champion Vic Darchynian and Filipino ‘Z’ Gorres in Cebu, Philippines, recently when matchmaker American Sampson Lewkovicz and Liverpool-based Manager Dido Bohol sealed the deal.
Ganoy (20W, 10L, 19byKO) destroyed Australia’s Robbie Peden in seven rounds last June before winning by decision for the first time against Indonesia’s Roberto Ricardo in September over 12 rounds and then demolishing Thailand’s Songchai Nakbale in 2 rounds last November.
”He has run out of opponents here in Australia and Southeast Asia, so he may have to head overseas before he becomes too old for the game,” said Bohol.
Indeed, the’ ”KO Kid’ has caught the attention of boxing promoters around the world, especially from the United States where a world title match may await him.