MARVIN SONSONA GOES FOR MORE RECORDS
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 01 Jan 2010
Former WBO superflyweight champ Marvin Sonsona will move up two divisions higher and face Wilfredo Vasquez,Jr. of Puerto Rico for the vacant WBO superbantamweight world title.
If Sonsona beats Vasquez on February 27, 2010, he will be the youngest Filipino in history to win two world titles at two different weight divisions at 19 years and 7 months. Vasquez however, will have the home court advantage.
The 25 year old Vasquez, (17 W (KO 14) ? L 0- D 1) won the WBO interim superbantamweight belt with an 8th round TKO over Adolfo Landeros in 2008. A familiar name on his resume is Jose Angel Beranza who he beat by unanimous decision March last year. This is the same Beranza that lost by 10 round unanimous decision to AJ Banal in Hawaii last August.
Vasquez? father, Wilfredo,Sr. had an excellent pro career winning three titles in three different weight divisions ?WBA bantamweight, WBA jr. featherweight and WBA featherweight.
This will be the first time that Sonsona will fight in his opponent?s home turf. Sonsona has fought in Canada twice in his previous overseas outings, beating Puerto Rico?s Jose Lopez by 12 round unanimous decision for the WBO 115lb world crown and enduring a split 12 round draw with Alejandro Hernandez of Mexico in his first defense after losing his title at the scales.
Sonsona (14W-0L-1D, 12 KO?s) became the toast of Philippine boxing last September when he became the second youngest Philippine world boxing titlist after Morris East. But he set an inglorious record when during the weigh-in of his first defense he was 2.6 lbs over the superflyweight limit and had to be stripped of his title.
Sonsona?s reign lasted 77 days breaking the previous record of 86 days of junior welterweight Roberto Cruz in 1963.
But Quinito Henson brought up an obscure but very interesting fact in his popular Philippine Star sports column a couple of months ago wherein he cited Miguel Arrozal winning a lightweight title for the little known WBB or World Boxing Board in 1998 and reigned for only 70 days.
This detail however, did not save Sonsona from scorn. There were harsh repercussions from boxing fans and the sports media. Being another hard hitting southpaw from Gen. Santos City has its advantages. But it also carries with it the burden of expectations and the long shadow of Manny Pacquiao especially when it comes to work ethic during training.
Nonito Donaire,Sr. will train Sonsona in the U.S. together with Ciso Morales who will be gunning for the WBO bantamweight title of Fernando Montiel. Sonsona?s original trainer Jun Agrabio will once again join forces with Donaire,Sr. in whipping Marvin back to his usual fighting form.
Agrabio said that he will try his best, together with Donaire to push Sonsona and bring his focus back. Donaire, Morales and Sonsona will be going ahead and Agrabio will join them once he gets his U.S. visa.
Donaire said they will leave on January 3 and will train at the Kennel Boxing Gym at San Leandro, California.
Sonsona winning a second title will make him set another Philippine record ? the shortest route between losing and winning another world title at 3 months. He would be very lucky considering that Pacquiao had to wait one year and nine months after losing his WBC flyweight crown to fight for the IBF junior featherweight title.
For Filipino boxers winning or regaining a title in the same weight division, in 1973 Ben Villaflor lost his WBA junior lightweight to Kuniaki Shibata by 15 round unanimous decision but beat him by first round KO in a rematch seven months later.
Sonsona is fortunate than most Filipino boxers. He won world title in his 14th pro fight. But he has to realize and appreciate the value of a world title. He is an extremely talented boxer, but talent and fame are fleeting. Reaching the pinnacle and staying there are two different things.
(File photo: Sonsona and his brother Mark Anthony at the IPI Gym last October 2009)
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..
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