MAGSAYO'S TURN IN THE SPOTLIGHT
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 11 Jul 2015
CEBU CITY ? Filipino boxing phenom Mark 'Magnifico' Magsayo will clash with Mexico's Rafael Reyes for the vacant IBF Youth featherweight title in tonight main undercard on 'Pinoy Pride XXXI' at the Waterfront Hotel & Casino here in what will be Magsayo's first big test in his young career.
Magsayo, 20, a bemedalled amateur fighter who is one of the best fighters to come out of the famed ALA Gym of Cebu, blitzkrieged his first ten opponents since turning pro on May 25, 2013 to register a clean 10-win slate with 8 stoppages. A double-handed attacker with great boxing fundamentals, the Bohol native who started boxing at age 8, confuses his opponents with his speed and finishes them off with his power. In Magsayo's first few fights, the venerable grand old man of ALA Gym, Antonio L. Aldeguer, advised Magsayo not to finish off his opponents earlier so he will have more exposure atop the ring.
Great expectations are planted on Magsayo's broad shoulders and if he passes tonight's test, he will most likely co-headline ALA Promotions maiden US event at the StubHub Center in Carson, California in October this year. Further down the road, Magsayo is set to headline 'Pinoy Pride' in January next year against a big name opponent possibly Fernando Montiel or Cristian Mijares for an IBF featherweight title scrap in what could become Magsayo's coming out party.
But sometimes, big plans are shattered by an opponent's powerful right cross to the jaw or a crushing left hook to the liver. So tonight Magsayo will face a highly confident and determined Mexican warrior in Rafael Reyes (16-4-0, 12KO) from Ciudad Juarez who seemed to be not very much impressed by his Filipino opponent's credentials. During Tuesday's presscon with the Cebu media, Reyes matter-of-factly said he wants to face Albert Pagara, another undefeated ALA Gym stalwart, next, after disposing Magsayo this Saturday.
Asked to react on Reyes's pronouncements, Magsayo simply said, ?He has to pass through me first.?
ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer, the one who set Magsayo's future ring engagements, was cautious on Magsayo's chances. ?Magsayo is one of our best boxers,? the young Aldeguer said. ?My father always speaks highly of him and he could be one of the future of Philippine boxing. But you'll never know how a boxer performs on a bigger stage so let's see what happens Saturday tonight.?
So, aside from the mouth-watering world title clash in tonight's main event between the Philippines' longest reigning world champ Donnie Nietes against the young former Mexican world champion Francisco Rodriguez, eyes will be on Mark 'Magnifico' Magsayo intent to see on how he performs in front of the spotlight tonight -- his first small step towards boxing stardom.
Photo: Mark 'Magnifico' Magsayo (L) and Rafael Reyes pose during Friday's weighin at SM City Cebu. Photo by Dong Secuya.
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