SPORTS SHORTS 205: MARK MAGSAYO CHANGES STYLE IN THE MIDDLE ROUNDS TO STOP JULIO CEJA WHO DENIES HE HAS ORBITAL BONE FRACTURE
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 28 Aug 2021
Mark "Magnifico" Magsayo stopped Mexican warrior Julio Ceja thanks to some calculated and strategic adjustments made by head trainer Freddie Roach and assistant Marvin Somodio which enabled the Bohol born fighter to earn a shot at the WBC featherweight title in their fight last August 21 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Magsayo (23-0, 16 KOs) opened the fight on a high note right away as he scored a knockdown in the first round. But Ceja (32-5-1, 28 KOs) immediately regained his strength and continued brawling.
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"When I knocked him down in the first round, I wanted to follow up immediately. I threw more punches, triple hooks, but he was able to defend and recover immediately," Magsayo was quoted by ESPN.
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Magsayo knew that the fight would turn out be a brawl because that's the usual outcome when Filipinos and Mexicans meet atop the ring. But he started to realize that he was on the losing end of the brawl so they had to change their game plan.
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Ceja kept pressing Magsayo aggressively as the Mexican convinced all three judges from the second to sixth rounds as he landed solid body punches on Magsayo.
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"We gave him some of the middle rounds because we wanted Ceja to tire himself out. It was a 12-round fight and we could afford to lose a few rounds as long as we stayed fresh and won the later rounds," said Magsayo. "I just did my best to defend."
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The strategy was nearly disastrous when Magsayo was pinned by Ceja in the fifth. Ceja incessantly rammed punches to the body as Magasayo concentrated on covering his tummy, the Mexican hit him with a left hook and knocked him down.
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"The punch to my head that knocked me down wasn't that strong. It was really the body punches that hurt me. I was more surprised by it because I was expecting him to throw another body punch but he went high," clarified Magsayo.
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Magsayo divulged that they were all aware that the scorecards favored Ceja as the fight progressed in the later rounds of the match so they started changing their strategy during the seventh.
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"Our adjustment started during the seventh round. Coach Marvin told me that once Ceja attacks, I should not let myself be cornered. He told me that if Ceja corners me, he'll keep attacking so the adjustment was to clinch and walk back to the middle of the ring from the eighth to the tenth," Magsayo said.
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"As a fighter, I really don't clinch. Even in the earlier rounds, I didn't clinch. I wanted to exchange but he was powerful so we had to adjust."
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When Magsayo stopped playing Ceja's game, he started regaining his rhythm. He also got to rest a little bit as he stopped absorbing consecutive body blows from his Mexican foe.
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The 26-year-old Magsayo said that in the seventh and eighth rounds, he was still deducing the strategies that the coaches instructed him to do. But in the ninth round, he could really see that it was effective.
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The Mexican's punches started to lose sting and when Magsayo kept clinching to stop Ceja's attacks, the Filipino felt Ceja got embittered. Ceja stopped throwing shots to the body and that was Magsayo's sign to attack.
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"I was able to breathe easier. My midsection stopped hurting. That's when we decided it was time to knock him out. In the tenth, I threw a wild overhand right and it connected. I felt he was groggy so I followed up. I threw a hook but he saw it coming so I threw a double straight that knocked him out," revealed Magsayo.
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The win guaranteed him a shot at the WBC 126-pound title. If WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. does not go up to 130 pounds, Magsayo would challenge him. If Russell goes up to the higher weight division, then Magsayo will vie for the vacant title with another boxer.
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"I was so happy that my dream of fighting as an undercard for Senator Manny Pacquiao finally happened. I stepped into the ring knowing that I'll do whatever it takes to win. I wanted to show the world what I can do," said Magsayo.
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"He left so many great memories. His legacy will serve as an inspiration not just for me but for all Filipino boxers. He's been my hero since I was young and he'll always be my idol."
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Contrary to a published report, Ceja did not suffer a fractured orbital bone in his left eye during that devastating knockout loss. Ceja was admitted at Valley Hospital Medical Center in Las Vegas as part of the precautionary measure, but comprehensive medical tests didn’t show any signs of significant injuries.
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Ceja was released from the hospital the next day and has been placed on indefinite suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission based on the brutal knockout loss he suffered, but Ceja is planning to return to boxing after taking a long hiatus.
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“I felt really good in the fight and I know I was winning,” Ceja told Boxing Scene. “I give Magsayo a lot of credit because I had won almost every round besides the first round, and he caught me with a great punch.
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"However, I read an article that said I had a fractured orbital bone and I want to set the record straight. I did not suffer any fracture or broken bones in the fight. The hospital gave me a clean bill of health. I am now spending time with my family, and after a good rest, I will return to the ring.”
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Magsayo was behind on all three scorecards entering the 10th round of their WBC featherweight elimination match on the Manny Pacquiao-Yordenis Ugas undercard. Judges Max De Luca (86-83), Lisa Giampa (86-83) and Don Trella (87-82) had Ceja ahead after nine rounds of their fight.
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The Tagbilaran native Magsayo pummeled Ceja with a well executed right hand early in the 10th round that made Ceja unconscious. As Ceja started to fall to the canvas, Magsayo followed it up with another right hand that downed the Mexican lying flat on his back. Ceja suffered the fourth knockout loss of his 12-year pro career.
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Ceja, age 28 years, was born in Tlalnepantla de Baz, Mexico. He held the WBC super bantamweight title from 2015 to 2016. He defeated Hugo Ruiz for the interim WBC World super bantamweight title on August 29, 2015 at the Staples Center, Los Angeles.
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The interim title was made available due to Leo Santa Cruz moving to featherweight. Ceja was later elevated to full title holder after Santa Cruz vacated.
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He lost to Hugo Ruiz by 1st round TKO on February 27, 2016 at the Honda Center, Anaheim, California relinquishing his WBC super bantamweight title.
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He also lost to Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux by 8th round TKO on June 23, 2019 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada.
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He drew with Brandon Figueroa on November 23, 2019 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada for the WBA (Regular) super bantamweight title.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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