Filipino fighting prospect Kenneth Llover will look to get back on track next Sunday, October 24, when he takes on Indian Neeraj Swami at the Dasmariñas Arena in Dasmariñas, Cavite.
Llover, a rising super bantamweight prospect who got as high as No. 8 in the IBF rankings and is currently ranked No. 25 by the WBC, suffered a stinging setback in his last fight—a split-decision loss to Michael Angeletti in an IBF title eliminator. That fight in June was a clash of unbeaten fighters, with the Filipino entering with a pristine 17–0 record with 12 KOs and the American entering with a clean 14–0 slate with 8 KOs. The winner was slated to fight IBF bantamweight champion Jose Salas Reyes of Mexico.
Unfortunately, Llover faded after a strong start, even scoring a knockdown in the second round. Angeletti survived, steadied himself in the championship rounds, and outworked Llover down the stretch to take the decision.
Kid Gloves for Llover’s Return Fight
Four months after that crushing loss, the 23-year-old Filipino will be looking for a career reboot right in his own country. And he is getting the kiddie-gloves treatment as he will be taking on someone—Neeraj Swami—who made his boxing debut only in 2025 and has fought professionally just four times (all wins).
Swami won his prizefighting debut in India via unanimous decision over Harsh Nagar and followed it up with wins over Shanborlang Marbaniang and Krish Gupta, also in India. His first overseas fight was in Bangladesh against Bangladeshi Md Easin, whom he beat by unanimous decision. Now, he is taking a humongous leap up in competition by taking on Llover, who once was billed as a potential champion before getting stopped in his tracks by Angeletti.
The apparent step down in competition for Llover is understandable, although the difference seems more like a gulf than a gap. But, to be fair, he is coming off a loss and is back to the proverbial drawing board—meaning an easier fight could be what he needs to regain his confidence and get back on track.
