Magsayo stays patient in lockdown
By Joaquin Henson
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 14 Apr 2020
Mark Magsayo (L) poses with trainer Freddie Roach.
IBF No. 4 and WBC No. 5 featherweight contender Mark Magsayo was supposed to leave for Los Angeles with his wife Frances to start training with Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Gym three weeks ago but with the lockdown, he’s staying patient at home, waiting for the crisis to finally blow away.
Magsayo, 24, recently signed a contract with MP Promotions and is being groomed to fight for the world crown. When the title crack will come is a question mark at the moment because of the coronavirus outbreak. MP Promotions head Sean Gibbons had planned a bout for Magsayo in L. A. or Las Vegas on May 16 and another soon after. He’s fast-tracking Magsayo’s climb to the top since the slugger from Tagbilaran City is way overdue. Magsayo was once ranked No. 1 by the WBC but a layoff of 1 1/2 years due to contractual issues took him out of the radar until Gibbons came along.
“Katabi ng bahay namin sa Pasig ay basketball court na walang tao pag umaga kaya jogging ako doon araw-araw, skipping rope, shadow boxing at balbo boarding,” he said. “Disiplina din sa pagkain. Just keep moving, ‘yan ang sabi sa akin ni coach Freddie. Kung ano ang kayang gawin na papawis ay gawin sa bahay. Let’s make the best out of this situation and keep our discipline. Lilipas din itong panahon ng crisis. Dasal lang tayo at ingat.”
Magsayo said Roach reached out to him in a comment on Instagram. “Sabi niya, hang in there,” said Magsayo whose record is 20-0, with 14 KOs. “Excited ako talaga mag-training sa kaniya pero itong situation ay out of our control.” At Wild Card, Magsayo said Roach will line up an army of sparring partners to put him in top shape. He used to train at Wild Card during his ALA Boxing days but never with Roach. “Sa sparring, maraming dumadayo na champions kaya ‘dami kong matututunan,” he said. “Dati, naka-sparring ko si (Jesus) Cuellar (former WBA featherweight champion from Argentina). Si coach Freddie ang pipili ng ka-sparring ko. Kahit sino, basta mayroon akong matutunan.”
Magsayo said when the time comes, he’ll be ready to challenge either WBC titleholder Gary Russell, Jr. of Washington, D. C. or IBF ruler Josh Warrington of Leeds, England. Russell, 31, totes a 31-1 record, with 18 KOs and has made five successful title defenses since winning the crown in 2015. Warrington, 29, has repulsed three challengers since claiming the throne in 2018 and boasts a 30-0 record, with 7 KOs. “Kaya ko ang power ni Russell at si Warrington, malakas ang stamina,” said Magsayo. “Twice na akong lumaban sa US. Sobrang motivated ako kasi more than half ng taong nanood Pilipino. Banderang Pilipino ang hawak ko kaya whatever happens, ‘di ako susuko sa laban.”
Magsayo, whose foreign boxing idols are Mike Tyson and Roy Jones, is the youngest of four. Two brothers tried their luck in the ring but never turned pro. His father Joseph, 54, used to be a baker and now drives a tricycle in Bohol. His mother Sheila died of kidney failure when he was 14. Magsayo said life was difficult growing up as he sold ice cream and bread in the streets when he was a boy. Then, he found a calling in boxing. Former Tagbilaran City Mayor Junjun Lim took care of Magsayo and sent him to Victoriano Tirol high school where he graduated.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.
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