STORY OF PHILIPPINE BOXING PART XLI: RODEL MAYOL, WBC LIGHT FLYWEIGHT CHAMPION
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 25 May 2020
Rodel Mayol, born August 9, 1981 in Mandaue City, started with his love of basketball. He never knew that he would become a boxer when he had a fight with a fellow player who had bullied and beaten him. So he trained at a neighbouring boxing gym to take revenge. He never had the chance to meet the guy because he was busy in boxing.
Mayol is the eldest of five children. He began fighting as an amateur when he was 15 and later won two gold medals at the Palarong Pambansa. He worked in the car wash and as a ball boy in the tennis court when he was not fighting.
He had his professional debut on July 1, 2000 with a 6th round KO of Joseph Villasis.
Mayol garnered a record of 22-0, with 17 KOs, before challenging for the world title. He also stopped Filipino fighters Jack Comen in the 2nd round, Allan Llanita in the 5th round, Julius Agcopra in the 4th round, Billy Payla in the 1st round, and Roger Maldecir in the 2nd round.
"Batang Mandaue" Mayol captured the Philippine Boxing Federation minimumweight title by knocking out Al Tarazona by flooring him twice in the 1st round on December 2, 2000.
He triumphed over Nino Suelo by unanimous decision in winning the Games and Amusements Board Philippine minimumweight championship. He successfully defended it against Isidro Lorona of Liloan, Southern Leyte also by UD.
Mayol knocked out foreign opponents which include South Korean Jae-Ho Kim in the 1st round, Thailand fighters Wicha Phulaikhao in the 5th round, Chiochan Buasuwan in the 2nd round, Khamhaeng Phanmee in the 2nd round, and Indonesian boxers Iwan Key in the 6th round, Julio De la Basez in the 8th round, and La Syukur in the 3rd round.
Mayol got the OPBF minimumweight title from Japanese Genki Onaka by 1st round TKO in Tokuyama, Japan. He defended the belt successfully against Ernesto Rubillar via 7th round technical decision in Taguig City.
His other OPBF title defenses include a stoppage of Indonesian Marti Polii in the 7th round in January 29, 2005. Polii was decked once in the 1st round, twice in the 6th round, and three times in the 7th round in Paranaque City.
Mayol's third OPBF title defense was a unanimous decision win over Takayuki Korogi in his home turf in Osaka, Japan on April 4, 2005.
He defeated Mexican Lorenzo Trejo in the 4th round in the WBC world minimumweight title eliminator in Cancun, Mexico on January 28, 2006.
Mayol absorbed his first loss during his first world title campaign to WBC minimumweight champion Eagle Den Junlaphan of Thailand by unanimous decision on May 6, 2006 in Tokyo, Japan.
He won over Japanese Masatsugu Okada by knockout in the very first round in Yokohama, Japan on September 18, 2006.
On August 4, 2007, Mayol moved up in weight to challenge Ulises "Archi" Solís for the IBF light flyweight title but lost by 8th round technical knockout in Rosemount, Illinois, USA.
Next he fought Adrián Hernández on February 9, 2008 and lost again by 4th round knockout in Leon, Mexico.
Mayol won over Thailand's Wisan Banjong by 5th round TKO. Then he took the vacant GAB Philippine light flyweight title by 7th round technical decision over Ardin Diale.
On June 13, 2009, he received another chance at the world title against WBO light flyweight champion Iván Calderón of Puerto Rico in New York City. The fight ended in a technical draw after Calderon suffered a nasty cut due to an accidental headbutt from Mayol.
A rematch between Mayol and Calderon was ordered by WBO on September 12, 2009 in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico. This time Mayol lost via technical decision after Calderon suffered another deep cut by unintentional head clash from Mayol in the 7th round. Two of the three judges had Calderon ahead on points at the time of the stoppage.
On November 21, 2009, Mayol became a world champion wresting the WBC light flyweight title by stopping reigning champion Edgar Sosa in the 2nd round in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico.
Mayol was deducted a point for unintentionally headbutting Sosa in the 2nd round and opening a cut above his cheek. When the fight continued Mayol sent Sosa to the floor and after the count a barrage of nonstop punches on the champion forced the referee to waive the fight.
Sosa had a metal plate implanted on his cheekbone due to severe fractures suffered during the headbutt. He filed a protest to the WBC to have the fight declared as a "no contest". However, the WBC guaranteed a rematch upon his recovery which never happened.
Mayol instead fought Mexican Omar Nino Romero on February 27, 2010, for the first defense of his WBC title in Guadalajara, Mexico. The bout ended in a controversial technical draw after three rounds.
Romero punched Mayol with low blows in the 3rd round. The referee was about to stop the fight when the Mexican landed a left hook that sent the Filipino to the canvas. Mayol fans commented that the decision should have been a disqualification not technical draw.
The WBC ordered a rematch and on June 19, 2010, Mayol lost his title to Romero in San Juan del Rio, Queretaro, Mexico. Mayol had a point deducted in the 2nd round and another point deducted in the 5th round after Romero suffered cuts due to head clashes.
Per WBC rules, if a fighter is cut in a clash of heads, the opponent who is not cut automatically has a point deducted from his score.
After the loss to Romero, he scored four straight wins against Thailand's Chatri Charoensin by 7th round TKO, Mexican Javier Gallo by majority decision, Jayson Rotoni by UD and American Ernie Marquez by 4th round TKO.
Then he engaged in the IBF superflyweight world title eliminator against Julio César Miranda on May 13, 2012 at the Ynares Sports Arena, Pasig City. Mayol decked Miranda three times and won the fight by a unanimous decision.
On September 22, 2012 he had his last attempt at the world title at Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico. Fighting Juan Carlos Sanchez Jr. before his opponent's cheering fans, the Mexican was floored in the 5th round. But Mayol went down in the 9th round causing the stoppage of the IBF superflyweight world championship.
Mayol retired and served as a trainer in Los Angeles where he currently trains some of the best and rising Filipino boxers, including fellow former world champion Marlon Tapales and world lightweight title challenger Romero Duno.
Mayol had 39 career bouts, including 31 wins with 22 KOs, 6 losses with 3 KO defeats and 2 draws per Boxrec.com.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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