Mayol: “Mission Impossible” is Possible
By Winchell Campos
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 09 Sep 2009
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO—Knowing in his heart that he deserved to have won the first fight against local boy Ivan Calderon, Filipino Rodel “Batang Mandaue” Mayol said there is nothing impossible in winning the rematch on Saturday despite fighting in foreign soil and against a hometown crowd.
In his bid to wrest the WBO light flyweight championship from the diminutive Calderon, Mayol and his team have trained hard and have reviewed fight recordings of the 5-foot champion nicknamed “Iron Boy.”
Mayol’s first fight against Calderon ended in a draw after the bout ended in a tally of points in the seventh round due to an accidental head butt. Judge Tony Paolillo saw it 58-56 for Calderon; Tom Schreck 56-58 for Mayol and Steve Weisfeld called it, 57-57 in June of this year in the undercard of the Miguel Cotto-Joshua Clottey fight at the Madison Square Garden.
During yesterday’s media workout at the Wildredo Gomez gym, Mayol and trainer Jesus Arevalo were hounded no-end by Calderon’s think-tank and corner men as they tried to find chinks in his armor. Arevalo, who figured in a vehicular accident prior to his trip Sunday, supervised Mayol’s training despite the pain in his arm.
“I have come to fight a champion in his hometown and I know that many have failed to win against Calderon, who fights like an amateur boxer as he seldom engages in a toe-to-toe battle, always running away on his bicycle,” said Mayol. “Hugo Cazares fought here and lost twice in controversial fashion but I have to face the fact that it might take more than a knockout to win the title.”
“I have come to fight a man, who I hope will fight like a man by showing his people that he is ready to take the challenge by not always running away. If he runs away from me, I might just have to run away from him, too. I expect to find a ring that will be too huge for both of us, so if he decides to play hide-and-seek, I might also play that game and the fight will become boring and people will boo us,” said Mayol, half-serious, half joking.
Team Mayol is billeted at the Holiday Inn in Isla Verde where he ate beef stew cooked by his personal assistant Rene “Best Friend” Espiritu while team captain Prem Encarnacion arranged for provisions.
“I expect Calderon to run and not engage but I also have prepared to run a marathon if that is what will take for me to win,” added Mayol, who is vying in his fourth shot at a world title.
Top photo: Calderon (L) and Mayol during the press conference in New York for their first fight which ended in a draw.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Winchell Campos.
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