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Monday, January 30, 2006
Mayol wins eliminator; WBC minimumweight title fight next
By Rommel C. Manlosa
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
ORIENTAL and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) minimum-weight champion Rodel “Magnum Force” Mayol has the world title in the horizon.
This after the World Boxing Council (WBC) No.1 contender knocked out Mexican No.2-ranked Lorenzo Trejo in their eliminator bout yesterday during the WBC’s annual “Nights of Champions” at the Plaza del Toros in Cancun City, Mexico.
Conflicting reports earlier reached Sun.Star Cebu after it was reported on boxing website www.fightnews.com that Rodolfo Lopez would fight Mayol.
However, it turned out that Lopez fought in another bout, defending his WBC Youth featherweight title against Freddy Blandon.
Uppercut
Mayol was all business from the start, connecting a huge straight that put Trejo on the seat of his pants in the first round.
The Manduae City warrior continued to control the fight that took away the explosive game of the Mexican. A well-timed uppercut to the chin sent Trejo down for good in the fourth round of their scheduled 12-round bout.
The 24-year-old former amateur boxing standout was declared winner of the WBC 105-pound eliminator at 2:29 of the fourth.
Unexpected
The win put him in a titular showdown with Japan-based Thai champion Eagle Kyowa for the world title within this year.
“Rodel is at his best. But we did not expect the fight to end very soon, considering the toughness and the ring experience of Trejo, plus the support of his hometown,” Mayol’s trainer Brix Flores told Sun.Star Cebu in an SMS message.
The win kept Mayol unbeaten after 22 fights and improved his knockout score to 17.
“Now we’re on target. Next stop is the world title and Rodel vowed to work doubly hard to bring the title home,” said Flores.
Mayol’s ring savvy earned him a thunderous applause from the crowd composed mostly of world champions.
“It was a tear-jerking finale when we received the applause from the crowd, which we perceived to be nonchalant at first,” said Flores. “Of course, during the introductions we heard boos, but after Rodel’s performance, we got good a reception.”
Mayol trained for two months in Japan, where he completed 105 rounds of sparring. He left Japan for Mexico last Tuesday via Canada where he, Flores, and a Japanese trainer met their manager Yasuo Matsuoka in Cancun.
Bypassed
Kyowa had a successful title defense last Jan. 9 against Japanese Ken Nakajima, his first title defense since reacquiring the crown from Katsunari Takuyama last August.
Kyowa lost the belt to Mexican Isaac Bustos after the former retired in the fourth round of their championship match in December 2004.
Takuyama beat Bustos in April.
In all of these title fights, Mayol was bypassed several times.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (January 30, 2006 issue)
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