Nadagdag ang Pilipinong si Mark Anthony Geraldo sa mga kakasa sa eliminator bout nang aprubahan ng International Boxing Federation (IBF) ang laban niya kay Puerto Rican McJoe Arroyo na huling hakbang bago kumasa sa pandaigdigang kampeonato.
Maglalaban sina Geraldo at Arroyo sa Disyembre 20 sa San Juan, Puerto Rico na ang magwawagi ay hahamon kay IBF 115 lbs. titlist Zolani Tete ng South Africa.
“The IBF has granted formal sanction approval for the IBF Jr. bantamweight eliminator fight for the No. 1 position between No. 2, McJoe Arroyo, and No. 9, Mark Geraldo,” pahayag ni IBF ratings chairman Lindsay Tucker sa BoxingScene.com. “The winner will be the No. 1 and the mandatory challenger.”
May kartadang perpektong 15 panalo, 8 sa pamamagitan ng knockouts, huling nagwagi si Arroyo nang talunin si dating WBA flyweight titlist Hernan “Tyson” Marquez sa Mexico noong nakaraang Hunyo kaya umangat bilang No. 2 contender ni Tete.
“Geraldo (31-4, 14KOs) comes in riding a nine-fight win streak as he fights on the road for his second straight fight. The 23-year old southpaw from Philippines scored a six-round decision over Efrain Perez in his last fight, which took place on the undercard of a Top Rank show this past July in Macau, China,” dagdag sa ulat. “ His last loss came to former (WBC) strawweight titlist Oleydong Sithsamercha, dropping a competitive but clear decision in their July ’11 clash in Thailand.”