May 18, 2004
TOKYO, JAPAN-WBC #2 ranked OPBF 130-pound champ Randy Suico (21-0, 18 KOs) has departed for Johannesburg, South Africa, via Hong Kong from Japan where he was training strenuously at the Teiken Gym in Tokyo for two weeks. Suico will face WBC top contender Mzonke Fana (21-2, 8 KOs) in a WBC eliminator to decide the official challenger against the current champ Erik Morales on May 28. Suico is accompanied by his trainer Juanito Ablaca and cornerman Yuji Oda. Suico will arrive at the fight site at 7 am tomorrow and make his final workout for a week prior to the showdown at the Orlando Community Hall in Soweto. It will be the first big event at the same venue since Argentine Santos Laciar captured the WBA flyweight throne by scoring an upset stoppage of defending champ Peter Mathebula in 1981.
(5-18-03)