Roach sizes up talents in Baguio boxing card

BAGUIO CITY—It will be North versus South when Hall-of-Fame trainer Freddie Roach and Benguet Gov. Nestor Fongwan lead big names in the sport who will troop to the Cordillera Career Dev’t College (CCDC) Gym in La Trinidad, Benguet tomorrow to watch bright boxing prospects from Mindanao battle veteran fighters from Luzon.

Cebu sportsman Rex Wakee Salud said he would ask Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and British fighter Amir Khan to join him in watching “Great Fights At The Heights: North vs South” which is being staged by veteran boxing man Raffy Panagan and covered by GMA.

Roach on Wednesday told former North Cotabato Gov. Manny Piñol, whose nine boxers will carry the banner for the South, that he would like to watch the young fighters from Mindanao and assess who among them has the potential to take over from Pacquiao.

Piñol said Roach’s attention would most likely be on the 19-year-old bantamweight Joemer Lumacad, considered the most naturally talented fighter from the Braveheart Boxing Club of North Cotabato.

Lumacad, a southpaw who turned pro at 17, is a former Palarong Pambansa gold medallist who now holds a record of eight wins with one decision loss. Recah Trinidad