Edrin “The Sting” Dapudong wants to vindicate the loss of Filipino Brian Villoria in the hands of Columbian Cesar Tamara by calling out the newly crowned IBF Jr. Flyweight Champ Tamara for a battle.
“Before anybody takes on Tamara, I have all the right to take him first..” said the boxer from the Braveheart Boxing Club who is currently rated # 2 by the WBO, #8 by the WBA and one notched higher than Tamara at # 6 before the former IBF # 7 Jr. Flyweight contender, Tamara got the opportunity of challenging Villoria for the IBF Jr. Flyweight title.
“This is not about me winning the title, this is about the pride of the Filipino people.” said the 23 year old Dapudong. “Viloria’s devastating loss to Tamara is every Filipinos’ loss as well. I feel the pain of the Filipino peoples’ frustration and dismay”, said the southpaw from North Cotabato while watching the late telecast of the Viloria-Tamara fight last Sunday..
“Sakto ang style nya sa fighting style ko” referring to the raging bull style of Tamara.. I think I can knock him out and bring back the IBF crown which the Filipino people really owns.
Dapudong gained the notoriety of demolishing his opponent with his stinging body blows paired with 1-2 combination to the head. The said boxing style drove Dapudong to gain a 44.4% knock-out percentage in his 18 fight pro-career. Topping the list of his victims is the current WBO Asia Pacific king, Bert “Ninja” Batawang. Dapudong defeated Batawang via a 7th round knock out to annex the WBO Oriental Light Flyweight title which the Cebuano boxer once held..
Considered by boxing scribes of Metro Cebu as one of the most exciting fights of 2009, the Dapudong-Batawang encounter last April 25, 2009 almost brought the walls of the Cebu Coliseum down as thousands of boxing fans witnessed a hair raising close-quarter battle of the two protagonists.
Spectators didn’t have any idea who will end up victorious as the two give power shots in the fierce toe-to-toe encounter that started in the opening bell. The young Dapudong gained momentum when he stunned Batawang with a lighting uppercut in the 5th round sending The Ninja to the canvass.
Another razor sharp uppercut to the chin of Batawang punctuated the carnage as the 62 fight veteran kissed again the canvass. Dazed by the multiple shots he absorbed from Dapudong, Batawang realized he can’t hold fighting for his WBO Oriental Light Flyweight crown as he suffered more than enough punishment from the stinging blows of Dapudong.
After conquering the Oriental Light Flyweight title, Dapudong subdued two more opponents to convince the WBO hierarchy to rate him as the second best fighter in the 108 lbs category.
No news in the offing yet if he could challenge the WBO Flyweight boss, Ivan Calderon. But Dapudong insisted that if Philippine’s pride and prestige is at stake, he is willing to jump ship and challenge Cesar Tamara and bring back the IBF Jr. Flyweight belt.. “I am ripe enough to challenge anybody in the Jr. Flyweight division said the boxer from the Brave Hearth Boxing Club of Vice Gov. Manny Pinol…
