JARO?S WBC AND RING MAGAZINE FLYWWEIGHT BELTS WERE EARNED THROUGH HARD WORK AND SELF PUNISHMENT IN TRAINING CAMP
By Chito Yu Katangkatang
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 03 Mar 2012
?Sonny Boy trains like hell. The boy almost never leaves the gym. There was never a day he was late in his training for Pongsaklek. He really wanted this badly. He punished himself in his own training camp.? This was the statement of trainer and manager Aljoe Jaro weeks before the fight.
When Aljoe revealed to this scribe the break given to Sonny Boy by the WBC, my reaction was, ?They are just cherry picking your fighter in order to avoid the more feared Japanese contender. But a break is a break. It?s now up to you and Sonny to shock the world. It depends on your team work and on Sonny Boy?s hunger for a title.?
?I will personally handle Sonny Boy?s training from day one to D-Day. I know he has the power to knock anybody out. But his speed sucks. I will work in that one and improve his defense. But I tell you, we will knock Pongsaklek out. That is our only way to win.? These were the exact words of Aljoe Jaro when he first revealed to Philboxing the world title opportunity given to Sonny Boy.
After watching the fight on video, I didn?t see any factor of luck in Sonny Boy?s victory. Yes it was one of the biggest upsets in boxing, but Jaro went to Thailand completely equipped with the right arsenals to give the Thai champ a one sided beating right at his very own backyard and before his countrymen. In the video, we can see our Filipino hero making the WBC and Lineal Flyweight Champ look like a cherry picked journeyman in one of our local promotions.
It was a total domination. I knew Pongsaklek Wonjongkam was a great fighter with a tremendous record and earned his pound for pound sport for a good reason, but at this time, he doesn?t have it anymore. Seeing the bad knockout he got from Jaro, it is my humble opinion that Thailand?s boxing icon should consider hanging up his gloves for good. At this point, he is too old to compete in a division filled with young hungry champions and contenders.
As Sonny Boy Jaro returns to Manila this afternoon, he sure deserves a hero?s welcome. He worked hard to earn the WBC and Ring Magazine Flyweight Championship. He is an example of how far determination, courage and hard work can bring us. The challenge now is more of the hard work and training needed for him to successfully defend his newly acquired title.
Mabuhay ka Sonny Boy Jaro! Salamat sa panibagong Karangalang hatid mo sa ating Bansa!
Photo: Boxing promoter/manager Aljoe Jaro (L) and the newly crowned WBC flyweight champion Sonny Boy Jaro.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Chito Yu Katangkatang.
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