Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has pledged to support fighters from the ALA Boxing Gym, along with ABS-CBN, which will cover their big fight cards in Cebu and Bohol this coming Saturday.

“We are really going to get behind the (ALA fighters) in putting the fight programs in Cebu which ABS-CBN will broadcast. We will utilize those events to build up fighters that we can,” Arum said in an article by Ronnie Nathanielsz in BoxingScene.com.

ALA Gym will deck their biggest fighters in this weekend’s bout at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu and in Tagbilaran City, Bohol.

Prior to his departure for Las Vegas last Thursday, Arum met with ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer. He also tentatively agreed to work together with ABS-CBN after an earlier meeting with the broadcast network’s Chairman Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III, Vice President for Sports Peter Musngi and reporter Dyan Castillejo at the EDSA Shangri-La business center.

The boxing promoter recently arrived in the Philippines to witness his prized fighter, 7-division champion, Manny Pacquiao train for his upcoming battle against Mexico’s Antonio Margarito on November 13 in Texas.

ALA has ‘it’

Arum believes that the ALA Gym, claimed to be the “Home to Cebuano Boxing Champions,” has what it takes to cross to international fame.

“On occasions, we will have them exhibit their talents in both Mexico and the United States. We are hoping we can make some world champions out of Aldeguer’s stable of fighters,” he said.

Arum added that International Boxing Hall of Fame matchmaker Bruce Trampler told him to “to see whether (they) can get (AJ Banal) over to the States because we have some great fights for him.” Trampler was said to be “very, very high” on Bazooka’s aptitude.

The promoter said he sees a prospect in Banal once the former “gets through his test on Saturday” in the main event against former International Boxing Federation flyweight and bantamweight champion Luis Alberto Perez of Nicaragua over ten rounds.

The fight card will also include World Boxing Organization Asia Pacific Youth light weight champion Jason Pagara, super bantamweight Larry “Bon Jovi” Canillas, and welterweight Mark Jason Melligen who has been with of Top Rank in Las Vegas over the past couple of years.

More Pacman to come

In light with Fighter of the Decade Pacquiao’s popularity, Arum said the international scene altogether recognizes that Filipinos are all boxing champions waiting to happen.

“When people mention Filipino fighters, they associate them with Manny Pacquiao so this is the time to take advantage of that association,” the promoter said.

He added that along with this view, positive expectations as well arise for Filipino boxers.

“Obviously, very few, if any of them, are Manny Pacquiaos, but still, Filipino fighters, because of Manny Pacquiao, have great respect in the US, Mexico and around the world, and that opens up a lot of opportunities for all these young men,” he added.