
This is the man that stands in the way of emerging Japanese star Mikito Nakano maintaining a perfect kill rate of pinoys on his unblemished fight record.
Arnel Baconaje "The Silencer" meets Nakano next Tuesday night at the iconic Korakuen Hall, and flew out from Manila today with coach Toto Laurente.
Mikito Nakano boasts a record of 7-0 with 6 knockouts, and most tellingly, he has been as brutal as he has been flawless with his pinoy body count.
Arvin Yurong, KJ Natuplag, Juanito Paredes and Lorenz Ladrada - all quality boxers in their own right, but were slain and dispatched in body bags at the hands of the ruthless Japanese technician.
But Arnel Baconaje is cut from different cloth, and having sparred numerous top opponents such as Naoya Inoue in Japan previously, he is better equipped than his predecessors for the impending battle.
The Silencer's most recent outing was a RP title win over Jhon Gemino in May, so he will be heading to Japan confident that Nakano's dominance over pinoy fighters will be tested to the limit next Saturday.


























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)























