Bibiyahe sa unang pagkakataon sa labas ng bansa si Asian Boxing Council (ABCO) light flyweight champion Richard Claveras upang hamunin si WBC 108 pounds titlist Pedro Guevarra sa Abril 11 sa Mazatlan, Mexico.
Bagamat No. 26 lamang si Claveras sa pinakahuling WBC ratings nitong Pebrero, pumayag si WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman sa kahilingan ni Guevarra kaya inaasahang aangat ang Pilipino sa top 15 ng light flyweight rankings sa Marso lalo pa at binigyan ng konsiderasyon ang pagdepensa niya ng ABCO crown noong Enero 31 sa Mandaluyong City kung saan ay pinatulog niya sa 1st round si Demsi Manufo ng Indonesia.
“With less than three weeks to go before fight night, Pedro Guevara finally has a challenger for his April 11 headliner in Mazatlan, Mexico. The recently crowned junior flyweight titlist will make his first defense versus unbeaten Filipino knockout artist Richard Claveras,” ayon sa ulat ni Jake Donovan ng Boxing Scene.com. “The bout will air live on Televisa in Mexico.”
“Claveras (12-0-2, 12KOs) fights outside of the Philippines for the first time in his young career, having just recently celebrated three full years in the pro ranks,” dagdag sa ulat. “The visiting challenger has scored 10 straight knockouts, having never been extended beyond eight rounds. That part, more so than his level of competition, is what caught the eye of the defending titlist.”
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Natamo ni Guevara (24-1-1, 16KOs) ang bakanteng WBC crown nang dumayo siya sa Tokyo, Japan noong Disyembre 30, 2014 kung saan ay pinatulog niya sa 7th round ang Hapones na si two-division world champion Akira Yaegashi.
Personal niyang pinili si Claveras at iniwasan si OPBF light flyweight champion at WBC No. 3 contender Jonathan Taconing dahil mas nakakatakot kalaban ang beteranong Pilipino na dapat matagal nang WBC light flyweight champion pero nadaya sa Thailand.
“The only thing I know about him is that he is a strong fighter, possessing the type of punching power that has allowed him to win all his fights by knockout,” diin ni Guevarra tungkol kay Claveras.
“When you’re a world champion, there is no margin for error or overconfidence,” giit pa ni Guevarra. “I am here to confirm my stance as champion, and that I will be here for a long time.”
Bago ang laban ni Claveras, una munang magtatangka si world rated Filipino Rommel Asenjo na hahamunin si WBA at WBO flyweight titlist Juan Francisco Estrada sa Linggo sa Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.
