SPORTS SHORTS 211: JHACK TEPORA WANTS TO FIGHT MARK MAGSAYO
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 06 Sep 2021
Former WBA interim featherweight champion Jhack Tepora is eager to face fellow Filipino Mark Magsayo for the WBO international title. The 26-year-old Magsayo is fresh from a tenth-round knockout over Julio Ceja on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao vs. Yordenis Ugas on August 21.
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Magsayo won his latest battle in Las Vegas, Nevada but he was knocked down by the Mexican brawler in the fifth round which made Tepora unsympathetic.
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“I clearly see that I can knock him out, to me he is an easy fight. He has many flaws, he keeps running, has no stamina, and hugs a lot. He is very easy,” Tepora was quoted by GMA News.
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Tepora, who holds a record of 23-1 with 17 knockouts, has not fought competitively since he lost to Oscar Escandon via first-round knockout on December 21, 2019 at the Toyota Arena, Ontario. Tepora’s dream of becoming a world champion was wrecked after that knockout. He has not fought since that shocking setback.
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Magsayo, on the other hand, has fought twice this year, knocking out Mexican Julio Ceja in the10th round last August 21, 2021 at the T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, and stopping American Pablo Cruz by 4th round TKO on April 10, 2021 at the Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut.
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He now trains under the legendary Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach. But Tepora believes that Magsayo's abilities have not improved with the world class training he had at Wild Card Boxing Club.
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“You fought on Manny Pacquiao's undercard and I did that too the only difference is I am a world champion and you are international only," Tepora belittled Magsayo's achievements.
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“El Kapitan” Tepora wants to show that his lone defeat will not end his rising professional career. He called “Magnifico” Magsayo on his YouTube channel to a fight. He challenged the Boholano to determine who between them is the best Filipino featherweight in the world.
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Tepora, who once trained together with eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao has been targeting the revival of his career. He is aiming a comeback fight probably in October or December. He is now training under his older brother, Jing-jing Tepora in Liloan, Cebu.
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“I'm very excited to fight since it's been two years that I have not fought. My body already misses the pain. I will promise to my fans and bashers that I can still come back as a world champion,” said Tepora in local language as quoted by SunStar Cebu.
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Tepora clinched the WBA interim featherweight title by stopping Mexico's Edivaldo Ortega in 9 rounds in the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Lucas Matthysse bout at Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur on July 15, 2018. The official time of stoppage is 2:38 of the ninth round.
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After Ortega dominated Tepora early in the bout, Tepora recovered in the latter rounds and pummeled the Mexican with thundering right hooks to the head. In the ninth round, Tepora landed a strong right uppercut to Ortega’s chin and sent the Mexican crashing to the canvas.
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The Cebuano brawler went on to finish the Mexican slugger with a barrage of blows when he got up prompting the referee to step in when Ortega had a hard time defending himself.
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Tepora won the vacant WBO intercontinental featherweight title by 2nd round KO of South African Lusanda Komanisi on September 22, 2017 at the Orient Theatre, East London, South Africa
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Tepora vowed not commit the same mistakes and promised to make a comeback. He has a high 71% knockout percentage.
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He was also formerly the WBO Oriental super bantamweight titlist and the WBO Asia Pacific Youth super bantamweight champ.
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The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas continues fighting for the inclusion of Jordan Clarkson in the Gilas men's basketball team as a local player. "We continue to press it," SBP president Al Panlilio told Radyo5's Noli Eala. Clarkson was an NBA Sixth Man of the Year awardee.
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The Fil-American guard has joined the national team once in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, where the Philippines finished fifth place. The Asian Games has relaxed rules than Fiba tournaments.
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It's not only Clarkson that SBP is fighting for, likewise the local qualifications of other Fil-foreign players who were previously considered as naturalized players like Stanley Pringle and Christian Standhardinger as their cases are also under appeal at the Fiba.
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Kyle Lowry had several franchises interested in signing the veteran free agent point guard. But Lowry opted to join the Miami Heat, despite the bigger offers from other teams. He told CJ McCollum that he saw the chance to vie for another NBA title plus having his good friend Jimmy Butler in Miami.
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"For me, it's only championships or bust," Lowry said. "Going to Miami, that was a situation where I feel like this is what they want to do. I have a close friend, Jimmy Butler, there and I feel like Miami, that's what they want to do."
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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