SINGAPORE – As professional boxing continues to grow in prominence in Singapore – with up to 15 boxing events expected to be staged in the Republic this year – two local fighters, Edgar Ang and Hamzah Farouk, are looking to capitalise on this fresh wave of interest.

The duo, who are both 28, will have a golden opportunity to do so next month, as they have been booked to take part in the World Boxing Council (WBC) sanctioned “Battle of Champions” event, which will be held at The Pavilion at Far East Square on Feb 10.

Ang is scheduled to take on Indonesian debutant Bima Prakosa in the Super Lightweight division, while Hamzah will fight Rahmat Munadjab of Malaysia in a Lightweight bout.

The potential reward for Ang and Hamzah emerging victorious in their respective fights? A chance to fight on the undercard of the WBC silver world title (welterweight) bout between champion Charles Manyuchi of Zimbabwe and Uzbekistan’s Qudratillo Abduqaxorov at the OCBC Arena on March 25.

That event, along with the “Battle of Champions”, are staged by Cartel Promotions, which is run by local boxing promoter Alexander Shah.

Having made his professional debut at the WBC Asia Championship in Singapore last July, where he beat Munadjab by unanimous decision, Ang told TODAY that he relishes the prospect of once again getting into the ring on home soil and showcasing his talent.

“It was a surreal feeling when I won my first fight last year. I was standing on the stage, the crowd was chanting my name and I felt alive in the ring,” said Ang, who trains at the Onyx MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) gym.

“My opponent may be a debutant, but far from underestimating him, I think that just makes him more dangerous because he’ll be hungry to prove a point by winning.

“But I’ve been training hard, working in particular on my speed and power, and so am confident that I can perform well, get the victory and bring glory to Singapore again.”

Ang, who is an executive at a technology firm, also revealed he is considering becoming a professional boxer in order to chase his dream of becoming a WBC world champion.

“I didn’t think of going full-time in the past but, with the number of (boxing) events coming up in Singapore, it’s now more viable to be able to do so and I might do that one day,” explained Ang.

“It has always been a dream for me to fight on the international stage, and to fight against champions. My ultimate aim is to one day challenge for the world title belt. But, first, I have to showcase my talent in the ring in order to get myself booked for bigger fights.”

For Hamzah, his upcoming bout against Munadjab will see him make his professional boxing debut, as he makes a return to the sport after a four-year hiatus.

The former amateur boxer left the sport in 2013 after struggling with a spate of injuries and financial issues.

However, he decided to lace up his gloves again last July as his passion for the sport was reignited after joining the Fit to Fight gym as a trainer.

“Back then when I was fighting as an amateur, things like injuries and financial difficulties hampered my training, so I decided to give up on boxing as I believe it is a full-time sport,” said Hamzah.

“This round however, as I’m working at a gym, it gives me more time for my training, so I decided to fulfil my childhood dream of fighting professionally.

“I know that there’s a lot of catching up to do because of the four years that I stopped boxing, but I’ve been working hard and I feel physically much fitter than when I was an amateur fighter.”

Despite being out of the ring for four years, Hamzah remains confident of securing the victory over his Malaysian opponent.

“In terms of ring rust, I can get through that via lots of sparring and visualisation,” said Hamzah. “I think my background and experience in amateur boxing will also help me.

“For now, I just want to get past this fight and hopefully get into the undercard for the WBC world title bout in March. I know Munadjab is not an easy fighter to go against, but I’ll be prepared for whatever he can bring.”

The “Battle of Champions” will be headlined by Thai fighter Srimongkol Singwancha (91 wins, 2 losses), who is set to challenge Uzbek Azizbek Abdugofurov (4 wins) for the WBC Asia Middleweight title.

The other fights at the event will see Abduqaxorov take on Ukraine’s Viktor Plotnykov, while Filipinos Jason Umbal and Roman Canto will slug it out in the Super Bantamweight division.

EVENT DETAILS

Event: Battle of Champions

Date: February 10, 2017

Venue: The Pavilion at Far East Square

Ticket prices: VIP Ringside (S$80), Standard (S$60), Birdseye (S$35)

For more information and to purchase your tickets, go to www.battleofchampions.peatix.com