FILIPINO Vincent Astrolabio brought with him a baby kangaroo stuffed toy during the final presser for his WBO bantamweight title fight against Australian Jason Moloney set this weekend in Stockton, California.
The kangaroo, according to Astrolabio, reminds him of his 32-year-old opponent.
“I have this stuffed kangaroo because I will give it to Jason. I have it because I think of Jason as a baby kangaroo,” said Astrolabio.
READ: Astrolabio destroys Russian foe in six
The banter was enough to add drama to their 12-round title fight Sunday (Manila time) set at the Stockton Arena.
Moloney however, wasn’t about to get carried away with the mocking of Astrolabio as he sees the bout as a special moment for him.
“This means everything to me. I’ve been boxing for nearly 20 years now, and chasing this one dream of becoming champion of the world. It’s something I think about every single day of my life,” said the Aussie fighter, owner of a 25-2 record with 19 KOs.
“I train so hard. I’ve made so many sacrifices to be in this position. So I’m ready,” he added. “Nothing will make me prouder than having that belt wrapped around my waist and sharing this special moment with my family and my team.”
Astrolabio, 26, has a record of 18-3, with 13 KOs including a six-round stoppage of Russian Nikolai Potapov that earned him a shot at a first world title.
He also owned a unanimous decision win over former world champion and Olympian Guillermo Rigondeaux in a fight where he downed the Cuban fighter in the eight round.
A native of General Santos City, but now based in Las Vegas, Astrolabio tries to become the fourth reigning Filipino world champion after Melvin Jerusalem (WBO mini-flyweight), Marlon Tapales (unified WBA and IBF super-bantamweight), and Dave Apolinarion (IBO flyweight).
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