By: Sean Crose
Mark Magasayo can hit. Hard. Just ask Julio Ceja. Back in August of last year, the boxer definitely met the rising star of the Philippines on the card Manny Pacquiao-Yordenis Ugas in Las Vegas. While Ugas’ upset victory over the legendary PacMan will be the most remembered of the night, a straight right from Magasayo will leave a mark on the hearts of all who witnessed it land on Ceja’s face. career in the 10th inning of their respective matches. With her man on the rope, Magasayo fires a textbook over-the-air missile that sends Ceja out. Seconds later, poor Ceja can be seen lying on his back, eyes closed, consciousness gone.
It was the fighting moment that fans noted. A great performance by the ring general is an impressive thing, but a war-ending howitzer, devastating and well placed, has a powerful way of drawing attention to itself – and especially especially the warrior who provided it. And so, ahead of this Saturday’s WBC featherweight title defense against Rey Vargas, the 24-0 Magasayo once again became the focus of attention. It’s not that Vargas 35-0 doesn’t deserve attention.
He is tall, Vargas, about 4 inches taller than Magasayo. He also knows how to use his height effectively. It’s a classic scenario where a shorter, more aggressive boxer will try to take down a taller one. Vargas also has a lot of matches on his resume, which means he has brought a lot of experience against the defending champions. Even so, Magasayo has had some strong experiences, including beating the ultra-slick Gary Russell Jr in January. In other words, the man is used to different styles, something that could prove invaluable Saturday night when he takes on Vargas at San Antonio’s Alamodome.
As if fighting an undefeated opponent in a main event broadcast live on Showtime wasn’t enough, Magasayo also has to deal with the fact that he will inevitably be compared to fellow Filipino Manny Pacquiao. wherever he goes. In fact, the 27-year-old is being seen as the heir to Pacquiao, now retired and claimed to be the Philippines’ top boxer. Magasayo, of course, is handling such expectations gracefully, but that’s too much baggage for the man to carry – especially engaging in a title war with someone formidable like Vargas.
