Mark Magsayo Has Tough Acts To Follow at Featherweights
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 30 Mar 2021
Magsayo (R) and Roach during Magsayo's last fight.
Mark 'Magnifico' Magsayo is slated to fight Pablo Cruz in one of the bouts underneath the main events featuring American Jaron Ennis against Sergei Lipinets of Russia at welterweight and Jerwin Ancajas supposed mandatory defense, his ninth overall of his IBF super flyweight title, opposite Jonathan Javier Rodriguez at the Mohegan Sun Hotel and Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut this April 10, schedule holding true.
Last I check with boxrec boxing schedule, there was no Magsayo - Cruz though Ancajas-Rodriguez was still there despite news of Ancajas positive of Covid test result. Let us hope boxrec is wrong on Magsayo and right about Ancajas.
Anyway, Magsayo has a very tough act to follow at featherweight. The last major fight at the class involving a Filipino was when Genesis Servania took on and almost upset then WBO featherweight titlist and now celebrated WBC super featherweight champion Oscar Valdez.
Servania hung tough versus Valdez and even managed to deck him in the earlier round but the Mexican rallied in the succeeding rounds, proceeding to also score a knockdown of his own to successfully defend his title via close but unanimous decision.
Before that, Nonito Donaire has had mixed results at 126, winning the WBA super title against African Simpiwe Vetyeka but losing it to the Jamaican 'Axeman' Nicholas Walters. He also fought and lost to UK's Carl Frampton for the vacant WBC featherweight plum before deciding to go all the way back down to the bantamweight where he had better results again.
Of course, who would forget Manny Pacquiao's feats at 126, beating Marco Antonio Barrera and forced to a controversial draw with Juan Manuel Marquez early last decade?
Since Luisito Espinosa broke the jinx in the featherweights in the early 90s, winning our first world title in the division, the WBC version over Manuel Medina of Mexico in Japan and defending it many times, Filipinos have become a force to reckoned with in the division. Tough luck to Flash Elorde in the late 50s and Johnny Jamito in the 60s.
Magsayo is our man now in the featherweights, our highest world rated fighter in the division which could be in yet another make over as Leo Santa Cruz, Valdez and Shakur Stephenson have moved up. And who knows, Gary Russell may also follow suit leaving Xu Can and new emigree Emmanuel Navarette battling with the other top emerging names, including Rey Vargas.
The IBF title is vacant and news is Kid Galahad will be battling fellow UK fighter James Jazza Dickens for the plum.
So strategically, Magsayo is in the position for the scramble for contention. And he has to continue winning. And win impressively.
His last outings were somewhat a let down, just a split decision win over a Rigoberto Hermosillo and unanimous nod over blown-up former WBO bantamweight titlist Panya Uthok of Thailand whom Marlon Tapales bowled over in 2016.
So if his fight versus Cruz happens as scheduled, he has to win big, more impressively than when Adam Lopez knocked him out for the first and last time six years ago.
Anyways, both Sean Gibbons and Freddie Roach are confident that Magsayo could do it: Knock the fellow out in due time.
Cruz has already three career losses but two of those came after 2015 and both only on points in widely spaced fights.
Cruz is on a seven fight winning binge.
But essentially a come forward fighter, both Gibbons and Roach see no problem in Magsayo disposing off Cruz, perhaps in the middle round.
Mark Magsayo has to make his mark once again after his impressive KO win over Chris Avalos six years ago.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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