On the undercard of Manny Pacquiao’s comeback fight against Marrio Barrios, two Pinoy fighters acquitted themselves quite well. Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo defeated Jorge Mata via unanimous decision while Eumir Marcial defeated American Bernard Joseph via stoppage.
MAGNIFICO. Magsayo is no stranger to Cebuano boxing fans as he was formerly under the tutelage of ALA Promotions under the avuncular eye of boxing patron Antonio L. Aldeguer.
In 2017 after his contract with ALA boxing expired, he would eventually fight more often abroad which culminated in him defeating Gary Russel Jr. to become the WBC featherweight champion in 2021.
However, he would lose that title in his first defense against Rey Vargas and lost again to Brandon Figueroa.
He has since then been on a tear winning four straight including the victory over Jorge Mata.
Magsayo is presently a vastly improved fighter from his ALA days. His arsenal is now more varied, and fighting abroad has done a lot to boost his confidence. I am quite bullish that “Magnifico” is peaking at the right time and I hope the exposure he got from the Pacquiao fight translates into world- title opportunities.
MARCIAL. This hard-hitting Olympian is a rare Filipino gem in the boxing world as he competes in the welterweight division. Standing at nearly 6 feet tall, this Tokyo Olympics Bronze medalist towers over the average Pinoy but his action-packed style belies his Pinoy heritage.
In fact, his love for brawling is a style more suited for the pro ranks but I still have my concerns about the level of opposition he will be facing in the 147lb division.
MOSELY. Not all comebacks are as successful as Manny’s as his former opponent Shane Mosely- now 53 years old, fought last week but lost to via unanimous decision to Matty Floyd.
I looked it up and it appears that the fight is not an official pro boxing event as it has not been listed so I presume that was a mere exhibition match.
Still, based on the clips that I saw, Mosely was outworked by the younger man and “Sugar Shane” has definitely has lost more than a step.
Somebody pinches me. Is this really 2025? I can’t believe that in the past few months I have been writing about boxers named Tyson, Pacquiao and Mosely.
LAST ROUND. It’s on a dear friend from UP, Dr. Nanette T. Antonio who recently celebrated her birthday. Cheers!