Foreign challengers arrive in Bohol ahead of Kumong Bol-Anon 25 weigh-in

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Foreign challengers Xiaokang Song of China and Taiwan’s Jheng Ciou have arrived in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, ahead of the official weigh-in for Kumong Bol-Anon 25, set for Saturday, July 11, at the Holy Name University (HNU) Barder Gymnasium.

The two visiting fighters landed separately at the Bohol-Panglao International Airport together with their trainers and team members.

Song arrived first and is set to take on PMI Bohol Boxing Stable prospect Shane “Sugar Shane” Gentallan in a scheduled 10-round non-title co-main event.

Ciou and his team arrived later on Thursday from Taiwan. The unbeaten Taiwanese will challenge Joseph “The Hunter” Sumabong in the main event, where Sumabong’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) Asia Pacific Silver minimumweight title and Ciou’s Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) Silver minimumweight crown will both be on the line in a unification bout.

READ: Kumong Bol-Anon 25 boxing event full fight card revealed

The 24-year-old Sumabong heads into the fight riding a four-bout winning streak dating back to December 2024. He captured the WBO Asia Pacific Silver minimumweight title that month with a second-round knockout of Cebuano John Kevin Jimenez in Naga City, Cebu.

He later added the Philippine Youth minimumweight championship before claiming the vacant WBO Asia Pacific minimumweight title with a unanimous decision upset over Japan’s Takero Kitano.

Sumabong last saw action in a non-title bout in Tagbilaran City in February, where he stopped Roland Toyogon in the sixth round. He enters Saturday’s showdown with a 10-1 record, including five knockouts.

Ciou, 21, from Taoyuan, Taiwan, brings an unbeaten 10-0 record into the bout. He is a former WBC Asian light flyweight champion and former Thailand light flyweight champion, having built most of his professional résumé while fighting in Thailand.

His only non-victory came in 2023, when he fought Vietnam’s Huu Thuong Pham to a split draw in Taiwan.

READ: Kumong Bol-Anon 25: Gentallan eyes statement win vs Chinese foe

Since then, Ciou has won eight straight fights while collecting multiple regional titles. In his most recent outing last March, he outpointed Japan’s Ryoga Hattori via unanimous decision to capture the OPBF Silver minimumweight title.

Saturday’s showdown will be Ciou’s first professional fight against a Filipino opponent and arguably his toughest test yet against Sumabong, who is currently ranked by three major world sanctioning bodies in the minimumweight division.

In the co-main event, the 24-year-old Gentallan looks to continue his rise in the division. Ranked No. 14 by the World Boxing Council (WBC), the Boholano owns a 14-1 record with seven victories by knockout.

Song, meanwhile, enters with a 6-3 record and one knockout. The Chinese fighter is coming off a first-round technical knockout victory over Thailand’s Natthaphong Nuchaiyaphum earlier this year.

The four featured fighters, along with the undercard boxers, will face off during the official weigh-in on Friday at the PMI Main Campus in Tagbilaran City.

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