CEBU CITY, Philippines — For Cebuano boxer Christian Balunan, 2025 will always stand as both a breakthrough and a hard lesson, one that strengthened his resolve rather than breaking it. Balunan capped what he called the most fruitful year of his career by challenging the heavily favored International Boxing Federation (IBF) world minimumweight champion Pedro Taduran on October 26 in Manila. Though the title slipped through his grasp, the experience left him more confident, wiser, and eager for what lies ahead. READ: Balunan earns respect of many in gritty world title loss to Taduran Now ranked No. 6 in the […]... Keep on reading: Christian Balunan carries optimism to 2026 after fruitful year in boxing