By Monwabisi Jimlongo
If you had any doubts about Filipino boxer Christian ‘The Bomb’ Araneta coming to South Africa to fight against unbeaten Sivenathi ‘Special One’ Nontshinga, then worry not because Araneta and his handlers have arrived in Gqeberha.
Araneta, who fights Nontshinga in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-flyweight elimination bout at the Boardwalk Hotel and Casino on Saturday, 24 April, landed in Gqeberha on Sunday morning together with his trainer Julius Erving Junco and Omega Sports Promotions vice-president Jerome Calatrava.
The Filipino trio, who will go to quarantine as per COVID-19 protocols, slept over in Johannesburg before taking a flight to Gqeberha.
“We are doing good. We just arrived after a very long flight. We are very ecstatic to arrive and we are looking forward to the fight,” Junco told Ink Sport.
“We wanted to come here two weeks before the fight. Our boxer Christian Araneta will give a good show on the 24th. We still have to fine tune him and we also need to acclimatise to the weather. We still have to reduce the weight.”
Junco has added that they are here in South Africa to represent the people of the Philippines, who expect a good show from Araneta.
“The people of the Philippines are excited to see Christian fighting here in South Africa. We are looking forward to a very good fight,” Junco said.
Whoever wins between Nontshinga and Araneta is going to challenge reigning IBF junior-flyweight champion Felix Alvarado from Nicaragua.
This is the second time Araneta fights in an elimination bout. He was stopped by Mexican boxer Daniel Valladares in Monterey, Mexico, in 2019.
