By Carlos Costa
Filipino former WBC minimumweight Youth champion Dexter Alimento of Iligan City weighed in at 51.25kg in his mandatory WBC 30-day weigh-in ahead of his rumble against Deejay Kriel for the vacant WBC International title on Sunday, July 23 at Emperors Palace.
Alimento’s weight was well inside the limit of 52.61kg for a WBC title fight in the minumumweight (47.62kg) division, the lightest weight class for men.
The boxer’s weight was checked and certified by the authority of the Philippine Government’s Games and Amusements Board (GAB) Sports and Regulation Officer Zosimo Jaraula III.
Present during the 30-day weigh-in were GAB officers, as well as Alimento’s manager Charlemagne Marban of Marban Boxing and the fighter’s head trainer Keith Batolinyo, who will travel with his pupil to South Africa.
Meanwhile, Kriel also weighed in well within the limit, tipping the scales at 50.25kg.
The rumble is a crucial clash for the two young up-and-coming fighters at an important moment in their boxing careers.
A solid victory would propel the winner into the WBC’s top 15 minimumweight fighters on the planet with the possibility of facing the WBC world champion, undefeated 47-0 Thailander Chayaphon Moonsri (also known as Wanheng Menayothin).
WBC world champion Chayaphon Moonsri has been ordered by the WBC to defend against mandatory challenger, WBC Latino champion Leroy Estrada (16-2, 6 KO’s) of Panama within 90 days; and the winner of the Monsri-Estrada clash (likely to take place in Thailand), will be looking for a challenger.
The loser in the Kriel-Alimento war would not only have his reputation dented, but also surely taken out of the top 40 by the WBC.
The orthodox South African, whose boxing idol is Floyd Mayweather Jr, is managed and trained by Colin Nathan and promoted by Golden Gloves.
In his most recent fight, in April, Kriel had a tough outing against Xolisa Magusha. The shorter Kriel had to sweat extra hard to score the close eight-round unanimous decision win over the southpaw Magusha, who proved to be a spirited competitor.
Meanwhile, Alimento, 3cm taller than Kriel and also an orthodox fighter, comes off a rather easy round third-round TKO win over 71-fight journeyman Rodel Tejares (21-43-7) in Bukidnon in March.
Alimento’s only defeat in 13 bouts was a close, controversial split decision loss in Japan.
His most accomplished win was a stoppage of then unbeaten tough Thailand WBC Youth defending Champion Natthaphon Chaiudom (also known as Chanachai CP Freshmart) in Chaing Rai, Thailand, in January last year.
However, it was a bitter-sweet win for Alimento as Chaiudom later collapsed.
It was a competitive, tough fight with both working hard at the mid and close distance with the Thailander ahead on points 79-77 in all three scorecards.
At the end of round eight, both boxers went to their corners, sat down, and all seemed normal in the ring on a hot, humid afternoon.
But Chaiudom then collapsed dramatically on his stool. Unresponsive and unconscious, he had to be taken out on a stretcher to the Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital where he was found to have a brain injury.
Fortunately he survived, but it signalled an end to his boxing career.
You may watch link to the video of the Alimento vs Chaiudom clash in our recommended videos below, but be warned: when Chaiudom collapses it is tough to watch.
