BLUE CHIP BOXER JESSEL MARK MAGSAYO DEBUTS ON 'PINOY PRIDE XX'
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 17 May 2013
Magsayo.
CEBU CITY ? The focus is on Genesis Servania. The undefeated Servania (19-0-0, 7KO) is seeing action next Saturday as a co-feature on 'Pinoy Pride XX' at the Waterfront Hotel here against Isack Junior of Indonesia. As if it is already given that Servania cruises past Junior, he was already penciled to face Konosuke Takayama (23-5-1, 8KO) of Japan on July 27 at the huge card in Macau headlined by China's two-time Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming and the world championship battle between Juan Francisco Estrada of Mexico and Servania's stablemate Milan Melindo among one of the featured matches.
Today, Servania is on the last lap of his preparation for next Saturday's fight and whittled down the number of rounds of his sparring. Together with fellow Philboxing journalist Dr Rene Bonsubre Jr, we visited Cebu's famed sweatshop, the ALA Gym, this hot Thursday afternoon to see firsthand Servania's progress especially his sparring sessions. We were specially interested to see Servania spar because we heard statements that he just toyed with Boom-Boom Bautista during sparring.
As Servania and his sparring partner duke it out in a spirited fast-paced action, what immediately caught our attention was the speed and agility of Sevania's unknown sparring partner. He dishes out fast combos of overhands and uppercuts, bobbed and weaved in a defensive maneuver and dashes in and out in a blink of an eye. Sure Servania, with his signature feints, sometimes catches his opponent off-guard but Servania surely receives as much as he dishes. Overall the unknown sparring partner gave Servania a real good workout.
?He's our blue chip boxer,? ALA trainer Edito Villamor, watching intently from the corner, told us. ?And he will make his pro debut next Saturday.?
Magsayo (on red shorts) and Servania (on blue shorts) during Thursday's sparring session at the ALA Gym in Cebu. Photos by Dong Secuya.
Jessel Mark Magsayo is 17 years old and has been boxing as an amateur since he was 8. After more than 200 amateur fights, he garnered 4 gold medals in national competitions and was named best boxer twice. He currently stands at 5'7? and will make his pro debut as a super bantamweight on 'Pinoy Pride XX'.
?The ABAP [Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines] wants to put him in the national pool,? ALA top honcho Antonio L. Aldeguer said. ?But the kid wants to turn pro. We always defer to the wishes of our boxers.?
Jessel is the 3rd of four kids born to Joseph and Shiela Magsayo from Bohol. His mother Shiela, who used to cheer wildly from the sidelines during her son's bouts, passed away in 2011 due to cancer. Jessel has been sent to a private school for his high school education in Bohol by his benefactor the Tagbilaran City mayor Dan Neri Lim. Jessel's younger brother, Jesneal, now 12, has also started his amateur career.
?I want to be a world champion,? was Magsayo's straight answer when we asked him what his goal in boxing was. He said he got his inspiration from Manny Pacquiao and from the ALA boxers.
Aldeguer, who nurtured local boxers for more than 3 decades, said discovering boxers like Magsayo is what keeps him going in the business.
At a time when the Philippines is experiencing a letdown from the defeat of its elite boxers, another one climbs into the ring to try to fulfill a role as one of the country's top boxers in the coming years.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dong Secuya.
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