CARLO MAGALI EARNS WORLD TITLE SHOT AGAINST MIGUEL BERCHELT
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 26 Jan 2018
Carlo Magali.
Cebu ? Unheralded Carlo Magali of Bohol has earned a title shot against one of the biggest names in the super featherweight division, the WBC world champion Miguel Berchelt of Mexico who plucked the Filipino out of nowhere when Berchelt's original opponent, the veteran former world champion Cristian Mijares, withdrew from the bout scheduled for Feb. 10 at Berchelt's hometown in Cancun.
Magali became the seventh Filipino who will fight for a world title early this year. See related story.
The power punching Berchelt (32-1-0, 28KOs) is being considered by experts as the second best super featherweight on the planet, next only to pound for pound fighter Vasyl Lomachenko, after Berchelt defeated ring warriors Francisco Vargas and Takashi Miura in his last two fights.
Mijares's handlers were uncomfortable fighting at Berchelt's backyard so when the fight fell off, Berchelt's handlers, Zanfer Promotions and Max Boxing, considered three names as replacement: Jose Matias Romero and Jonathan Barros, both from Argentina and Jonathan Oquendo of Puerto Rico. But finally they opted for Magali who had just won last Jan. 13 the OPBF super featherweight title in Japan.
If it looks like Magali is being feed to the lion at the lion's den in front of shrieking hometown crowd, don't tell it to the stocky Boholano who made a living by going to to his opponent's backyard.
Magali (23-9-3, 12KOs) started fighting in small cards in remote venues in Bohol and Cebu, primarily as a fodder against rising prospects. He lost some but he also won many of these matchups. Fighting on the B-side his entire career, he went to places where fate led him which brought him to Japan, Russia, Australia, South Africa and Malaysia. All in all, he fought eight times in foreign lands amassing a score of five wins and three losses the last one was a win over Masatoshi Kotani of Japan that netted him the OPBF title.
Magali's unforgettable fight though was when he fought Australia's Davey Browne Jnr on Sep. 11, 2015 in Ingleburn, near Sydney, Australia for the vacant IBF Pan Pacific super featherweight title. Magali knocked out Browne unconscious 30 seconds before the final bell of their 12-round fight. Browne regained consciousness but later collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. Browne died three days later because brain injury.
Berchelt will be Magali's toughest opponent and the biggest fight his entire career. Fighting as an underdog his whole life, and in spite of the odds against him he has come this far, it is probably wise never to write off the fighting Filipino.
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