EX-CHAMP MAYOL FINDS NEW CALLING AS A TRAINER
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 20 Jul 2017
Former WBC light flyweight champion Rodel Mayol?s career as a boxer ended in 2012 when he was knocked out by then IBF junior bantamweight champ Juan Carlos Sanchez of Mexico in nine rounds.
Mayol?s 12 year boxing career was a fine example of persistence and resilience. He came short four times in world title attempts (3L-1D) before he snatched the WBC crown from Mexican Edgar Sosa in 2009.
Mayol, who will be turning 36 next month, still lives in California. He tried his hand at training three years ago. He started with customers who just wanted to lose weight or exercise for health reasons. But he found himself back in the trenches and created a buzz when Filipino boxers Romero Duno and Recky Dulay scored upset knockout wins with Mayol in their corner.
?I started with people who just wanted to try boxing as an exercise. Then I worked as a personal trainer for those who worked out in the park nearby,? Mayol told this writer, ?Later on I started handling pro boxers as an assistant in the Wild Card Gym.?
Freddie Roach?s Wild Card Gym is hallowed ground for Filipino boxers. It is not just Manny Pacquiao, but every Pinoy fighter who wants to make it big in the U.S. makes it a point to train there.
Mayol was in the corner of Aston Palicte (23-2,19KO?s), who was signed by Roy Jones, Jr?s Boxing Promotions, when the Bago City boxer beat Oscar Cantu by split decision in Las Vegas.
But it was the stunning second round knockout win of Sanman Gym boxer Romero Duno (14W-1L,13KO?s) over the erstwhile unbeaten prospect Christian Gonzalez last March in Los Angeles that made the diehard Filipino boxing fans take notice of Mayol?s new career.
Duno, from Gen.Santos City, was fighting in the U.S. for the first time against a prospect promoted by Golden Boy Promotions. Oscar dela Hoya?s company immediately signed Duno after his victory.
Mayol followed it up with another upset win, courtesy of Recky Dulay.
Dulay, now 10-2,7KO?s, faced another previously unbeaten prospect, Jaime Arboleda at the Forum in Inglewood. After the third round KO win, Dulay also received an offer from Golden Boy Promotions.
Mayol said that matchmaker Robert Diaz approached him and said, ?You are killing all my fighters so from now on I will get all your fighters and fight under Golden Boy.?
?This made our team happy,? Mayol said, ?I am happy that even with my short experience, I trained underdog boxers who won.? Aside from Palicte, Duno and Dulay, he also cited Al Rivera (18-3,16KO?s) and Ernesto Saulong (21-2-1,8KO?s) among the other Filipino boxers that he has handled.
?My dream is someday I will train a Filipino boxer who will become another super champion like our ?Pambansang Kamao?, Sen. Manny Pacquiao.? Mayol stated.
Photo: Former Filipino world champion and neophyte Rodel Mayol (R) congratulates Recky Dulay after Dulay's sensational win against formerly undefeated Golden Boy fighter Jaime Arboleda of Panama last Saturday in Los Angeles.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..
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