Ten days out. And the champ just lost his coach !
Pedro Taduran (20-4-1, 14 KOs), the Philippines' lone world champion, defends his IBF minimumweight title for the fourth time on 7 November at the Kiva Auditorium in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
His chief trainer won't be there.
Carl Peñalosa, in Taduran's corner since 2024, was unable to secure a visa from the US Embassy on Tuesday.
Not just any coach, either.
Peñalosa — brother of the great Dodie Boy and Gerry — was in the corner when Taduran halted Ginjiro Shigeoka to win the belt in Otsu City, Japan, in July 2024. He was there for the rematch win in Osaka. He was there at the Thrilla in Manila 50th anniversary. And he was there in April, when Taduran knocked out Gustavo Perez Alvarez in seven in Temecula.
Every defence. Every big night.
Now this one ? Paperwork.
Fair play to the team, though. They didn't sit around.
Promoter Sean Gibbons has handed the reins to Joven Jimenez as temporary lead trainer, with former world champion Jerwin Ancajas and Las Vegas-based Jino Rodrigo lending a hand. Manager Marty Elorde flies in from Manila on Saturday.
Across the ring stands Spain's Brandon Moreno, the mandatory challenger — unbeaten in 16 fights with five knockouts, every one of them fought in Spain.
On paper, it's Taduran's to lose. The bookies have him at -1100.
But camp is camp, and the voice in the corner matters.
Can Jimenez and Ancajas keep the Bicol southpaw on track, or will Moreno make a Filipino champion pay for a missing visa ?
🇵🇭 PEDRO TADURAN (20-4-1) vs BRANDON MORENO (unbeaten, 16 fights) 🇪🇸
🏆 IBF minimumweight title (mandatory)
📅 7 November 2026
📍 Kiva Auditorium, Albuquerque, New Mexico
📺 Salita Promotions on DAZN
Stay tuned !
Bacolod's Genesis Servania will fight China's rising star Aketelieti Yelejian for the WBO Asia Lightweight title this November.
The highly-anticipated match up will take place on the undercard of the IBF world title fight between Pedro Taduran and Zhu DianXing at Jeju Island, South Korea.
Aketelieti Yelejian, who suffered a narrow loss to the Prince Albert Pagara in June, rebounded with an impressive IBF Asia victory against Korean Jin Su Kim in Vietnam recently. He is a very rangy and deceptive boxer known for his relaxed combinations, and he's supremely confident in his ability to take down Servania and claim the title.
"I've studied Servania's style, and I know I have the skills to outmaneuver him," Yelejian said yesterday.
"I'm excited to represent China on the international stage once more, and bring home an impressive win against a top and proven boxer like Genesis."
Servania, a seasoned veteran with a 35-4 record, boasts a reputation for toughness that has come from battles at the top level. And has still possesses some of the best body shots in the sport of boxing.
This important title shot gives the filipino the opportunity to re-establish himself on the world scene once more, and it's best remembered that his only defeats have came against world-ranked champions like Oscar Valdez and Andres Cortes.
But the China team have already confidently stated that Yelejian's youth, speed, height, and reach may all prove too much for the Filipino boxer.
Their optimism also exudes for the world title bout, where surprisingly, they are quite dismissive of Pedro Taduran's hopes of beating star Zhu DianXing. They actually rate their boxer so highly, they have predicted that the champion has no chance of retaining the belt.
These claims set up an intriguing backdrop for two massive Philippines v China feature bouts.
Fight Details :
- Date: Saturday, November 23rd
- Location: Jeju Island, South Korea
- Title: WBO Asia Lightweight
- Contenders: Aketelieti Yelejian (China) vs. Genesis Servania (Philippines)
