By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

 

UNDEFEATED Filipino World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight champ Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo who acquired the world title from American Gary Russell, Jr. last January 23 via a 12-round majority decision held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, will defend his title for the first time on July 10 (PH time), to be held at Alamo Dome in San Antonio, Texas. The 5’6” tall Magsayo from Tagbilaran City, Bohol with an unblemished professional record of 24 wins (16 of them via knockouts), will go against a similarly undefeated Mexican slugger Rey Vargas.

Majority of the world boxing pundits are giving the untarnished Magsayo the slight edge over the more experienced 31-year-old and taller (5’10”) Mexican Vargas, also with a flawless professional boxing record of 35 wins (22 of them via stoppages) and 13 by decisions. Vargas previously held the WBC super bantamweight tiara from 2017 to 2020. He’s considered as the tallest super bantamweight champ that the world ever produced. But because of weight problem, he relinquished his world title and moved up to featherweight division (126 pounds) to clash with Visayan hombre Magsayo.

I still recall when I first met Magsayo in person during his fight against Mexican Eduardo Montoya and defeated the Mexican via 10-round unanimous decision on July 11, 2015 held at Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu City.  I was impressed by his hard-punching style that I decided to watch him always, usually in Cebu City mostly held at Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu City. When I watched him the second time, I saw how he scored a sensational first round technical knockout win against a Thailand fighter Issa Nampepeche on April 29, 2017 and followed by another amazing first round technical knockout victory over Mexican orthodox fighter Daniel Diaz held this time at IEC Convention Center also in Cebu City on July 8, 2017. To the delight of the huge Visayan crowd, he retained his World Boxing Organization (WBO) International featherweight diadem. That was the last time I watched his brawl in person before the ALA Promotions became temporarily inactive. His succeeding battles were conducted overseas including Singapore but more often in the United States where Magsayo is now based. Luckily, all of them were victories. Hopefully he will remain undefeated after his clash with Vargas on July 10. Remember, Magsayo is the latest fourth Filipino world boxing champ. The other three are International Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight champ Jerwin Ancajas, IBF minimum weight king Rene Cuarto and WBO world bantamweight ruler John Riel Casimero.

It should have been six champs for Philippines this year if flyweight world champ Donie Nietes did not relinquish his crown and moved to junior bantamweight division and WBC bantamweight Nonito Donaire did not lose his title last June 7. Nietes is scheduled to have a rematch against Japanese Kazuto Ioka for the WBO junior bantamweight crown on July 13 to be held in Ota City, Japan. He defeated Ioka in their first meeting in Macau, China on December 31, 2018.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ “And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. MATTHEW 18: 15-17

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