Reigning World Boxing Association – Asia super flyweight champion Adrian Lerasan is not all alone now in Bangkok where his May 1 fight was postponed by more than a month due to the rise of Covid-19 in Thailand that has forced the Thai government to enforce stringent measures.
Lerasan, who flew all alone to the Thailand capital after his coach was not allowed to fly due to conflicting Covid testing results, has one of Highland Boxing Promotions top coaches to train him for the June 5 encounter against a Thai champion.
Joven Jorda will handle Lerasan’s training for the June 5 fight against World Boxing Council – Asia flyweight king Thananchai Charunpak with the latter’s belt at stake.
“Tsamba at andun siya (Lucky, he [Jorda] is in Thailand,” Highland top man Brico Santig told RNG Luzon Thursday.
“Bored na nga at mag-isa (He [Lerasan] is already bored since he has been alone),” said Santig of his ward.
Lerasan left for Thailand last April 17 all by himself after trainer-coach Richard Garcia, Jr. was barred from flying after his test with Philippine National Red Cross came out positive.
Garcia took a rapid antigen test on that same day which turned out negative prompting him to take a second RT PCR test done at the Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center the next day which came out negative.
But Garcia was still denied to fly to the Thailand capital due to his PNRC positive test.
Garcia expressed surprise but then his questions were left unanswered, leaving his ward to fly on his own. Visitors from other countries are required to undergo the mandatory 14 day quarantine.
Santig said that Garcia may not be able to finish the required quarantine come fight day even if he was allowed to go after the delay.
Lerasan was scheduled to meet the Thai champion on May 1 but was moved to June 5 after the Thai government imposed stricter measure to curb a rise in Covid-19 cases. In what Thai officials call as a third wave of infections, stricter measures have been set up to rein in Covid-19 which they say caused by the highly transmissible B1.1.7 variant and has caused 24,000 cases and 46 deaths in just 25 days.
With the closure of gyms, the fight that will see the Filipino champion Lerasan attempt wrest the Thai’s strap had been postponed.
In his Facebook wall, Highland Boxing Promotions top man Brico Santig wrote: “WP Boxing Promotions this weekend has been unfortunately been postponed to June 5 due to the government’s restrictions on sporting events in Bangkok.”
Lerasan’s fight against the “King Cobra” highlights the two bout event at Workpoint 23 on said date at 2PM.
Lerasan won the vacant WBA Asia super flyweight title on March 1 last year by beating the undefeated Thai Tanes Ongjunta in eight rounds.
The 2016 Palarong Pambansa flyweight bronze medalist Lerasan, won over Anthony Caligao in Nov. 10, 2019 via unanimous decision.
