JIMREX JACA

updated February 20, 2007

An exciting southpaw known as "The Executioner", Cebu City's Jimrex Jaca is one victory away from joining his countryman Manny Pacquiao as a Filipino boxing superstar. Winner of four of his last five bouts, three by early knockout, the 23-year-old Jaca always comes to fight and his style has garnered a legion of fans from Tokyo to Las Vegas.

Born Jemuel Divino in Sibulan, Jaca always dreamed of becoming a successful prize fighter and a world champion. And though his family had their concerns about the way of life he was going to pursue, they supported him every step of the way, and on his 17th birthday - June 16, 2000 - the southpaw made his professional boxing debut with a four round decision win over John Callente.

A quick learner in the sweet science, Jaca quickly built up an impressive 12-0 record with 7 knockouts, and then faced Alfren Bulala on October 20, 2001 for the Philippine bantamweight title. Despite his relative inexperience, Jaca easily went 12 rounds for the first time and decisioned Bulala.

Three fights later, Jaca jumped up to the 122-pound weight class and knocked out 25-11 Dino Olivetti in just two rounds. After two title defenses and three non-title wins, Jaca won his third championship belt on January 30, 2004, as he outpointed Pederito Laurente over 12 rounds to win the OPBF title.

Weight was becoming an issue for Jaca though, and he lost his title on the scales before his next bout against Yasuo Kunimi on May 30, 2004. Weakened by trying to make the weight, Jaca was subsequently stopped in seven rounds by Kunimi as he suffered his first loss as a pro.

Moving up in weight, Jaca won four of his next five fights, with one draw, winning the vacant Philippine super featherweight title in the process by stopping 99 fight veteran Samuel Duran in just two rounds on November 25, 2005.

On May 20, 2006, Jaca would go back to Japan to fight for the OPBF 130-pound title, but he lost a hard-fought 12 round decision to Nobuhito Honmo.

Opting to move back down to compete in the featherweight division for the time being, Jaca won his most recent fight by technical decision over Hector Javier Marquez, and on October 21st, he'll have the opportunity to defeat another Marquez (no relation) when he faces boxing superstar Juan Manuel Marquez for the interim WBO featherweight championship of the world.