You can understand the penchant of Jhack ‘El Capitan’ Tepora to keep the World Boxing Association (WBA) ‘interim’ featherweight championship belt close to his chest.
The belt emits prestige, in stark contrast to the buckets of trash Tepora used to collect to augment the family income. Oh, the belt also smells better.
Tepora, a 25-year-old power puncher, was officially crowned WBA ‘interim’ featherweight (126 lbs.) champion on July 15 after he demolished Mexican Edivaldo Ortega in the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Lucas Matthysse welterweight clash in Kuala Lumpur.
Ortega boxed neatly in the early rounds and landed some nifty hooks, but Tepora’s punching power took over and a bone-jarring right uppercut reduced the Mexican into a heap of rubbish in the ninth round.
Nahirapan din ako, ang tibay niya,” Tepora told this writer.
The ascent to ‘champ’ status was a long and arduous one for Tepora. He grew up in Cebu and was inspired to take up boxing at age seven by his two older brothers who were into the sport. Jinjing Tepora boxed briefly in the amateur ranks while Christopher ‘Pingping’ Tepora campaigned as a pro in the flyweight (112 lbs.) ranks before calling it quits in 2008.
“Nahilig po ako sa boxing dahil sa mga kuya ko na si Jingjing at Pingping,” said Tepora. “At na-inspire din po ako ni Manny Pacquiao.”
While harnessing his boxing skills in the amateur ranks, Tepora earned a living by collecting and selling trash. Things did not get any better when Tepora’s mother passed away when he was barely eight years old. “Iyun ang pinakamahirap na na-experience ko sa buhay, ang mawalan ng magulang, ” said Tepora. “Nangalakal ako ng basura sa daan, buti na lang nandyan ang mga kuya ko at tinuruan ako ng boxing.”
Tepora turned pro in 2012 and knocked out five of his first seven opponents. Four years later, he won his first regional belt when he stopped countryman Jason Tinampay in five rounds for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) Asia Pacific Youth junior featherweight (122 lbs.) title.
Tepora has won his last six fights by knockout, including the one against Ortega that gave him the WBA ‘interim’ feather crown. Overall, Tepora has a record of 22-0 with 17 knockouts.
The WBA ‘interim’ title Tepora won is actually third in line in the WBA’s perplexing title hierarchy. The WBA has this crazy policy of promoting a ‘regular’ champion to ‘super’ champion after the regular champ makes a few successful defenses or unifies the belt by beating a counterpart champ from the WBO, WBC or IBF. When the ‘regular’ champ is promoted to ‘super’ status, the ‘regular’ belt is vacated and another boxer is crowned ‘regular’ champ. This creates two WBA champions in one weight class. A third champ is added, the WBA ‘interim’ champ, when the ‘regular’ champ is injured or unavailable to make an immediate defense.
As can be deduced, the ‘super’ champ is considered the real WBA champion in the division. The WBA ‘super’ featherweight champ is Mexico’s Leo Santa Cruz while the WBA ‘regular’ champ is Jesus Rojas of Puerto Rico. Rojas is not injured or incapacitated (he is scheduled to defend against Joseph Diaz on August 11), which makes you wonder why there is a need for the WBA to create an ‘interim’ or temporary belt.
In any event, Tepora, as the WBA ‘interim’ champ, has expressed his willingness to take on WBA ‘super’ champ Santa Cruz if only to legitimize his claim to the world title.
"Handa po ako kay Santa Cruz,” said Tepora. “Hard training lang po talaga ang kailangan para matalo ko siya.”
Tepora is listed as a southpaw, but he actually packs power in both fists. He tends to stand in front of his foe and just hammer away. Tepora’s left straight can readily rearrange an opponent’s jaw, but ‘El Capitan’s’ right hook is just as dangerous and powerful.
“May mga kulang pa din ako,” acknowledged Tepora. “Yung hangin, speed at defense.”
Tepora has time on his side to work on his shortcomings. The bottom line is that he is no longer scrapping the bottom of the barrel and is now flaunting a shiny new belt that could very well be a portent of good things to come.
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