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Philippines, 25 May 2026 |
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MAGSAYO'S TWO DREAMS - FIGHTING IN BOHOL AND A WORLD TITLE SHOT By Maloney L. Samaco PhilBoxing.com Sat, 25 Nov 2017  ALA Boxing Promotions' most promising fighter Mark "Magnifico" Magsayo will fight for the first time before his hometown crowd in Tagbilaran, Bohol tonight. He will headline Pinoy Pride 43 "The Battle in Bohol" to defend his WBO International featherweight title against Japanese challenger Shota Hayashi. Undefeated in 17 fights in his professional career, he has his dream realized tonight and if he wins there's a big chance of fulfilling his other dream of a world title shot. * * * An impressive win could give Magsayo a title shot for the WBO featherweight world championship fight with title holder Oscar Valdez. A victory over Hayashi could set a world title fight for Magsayo who must overcome the Japanese who won 14 of his last 15 bouts.This will be his second title defense after stopping Chris Avalos to win the belt. He destroyed Tanzanian Issa Nampacheche in only two minutes. Magsayo came from an explosive first-round demolition of Daniel "El General" Diaz of Nicaragua. * * * Shota Hayashi was born on November 24, 1987 in Tajimi, Gifu, Japan and he just celebrated his 30th birthday yesterday. He is ranked No. 7 featherweight in Japan and No. 44 in the whole world by BoxRec. The orthodox fighter has fought 195 rounds with 49% KO rate. This will be his overseas debut and fights in hostile soil against Magsayo who has fought 67 rounds and has a high KO rate of 76% and is ranked world No. 21 featherweight by BoxRec. Only 4 opponents survived the hard blows of the Boholano. * * * Hayashi said his experience was his great advantage as he was fighting since he was 16 years old, longer than Magsayo. "My performance on Saturday will show everyone how much I've learned throughout the years," said Hayashi, who added he will retire as a fighter if he loses against Magsayo. Team Hayasihi said they prepared thoroughly for the fight and the Japanese had the chance of sparring with the now Japan-based Genesis Servania, who lost to WBO world featherweight champ Oscar Valdez. * * * The 22-year old Magsayo (17-0-0, 13KOs) tipped the scales yesterday at exactly the featherweight limit of 126lbs, while Hayashi (30-6-1,18KOs) weighed in at 125lbs. ?We?re both sluggers so there?s going to be a knockout but definitely it is not going to be me who will fall to the ground,? Magsayo was quoted by Inquirer. ?He loves to come forward based on what I saw in his fight tapes and I love that kind of style because I can set up my combinations very well. * * * "Magsayo added that he is more patient now and learned his lesson when he was knocked down by Cris Avalos in 2015, becoming more cautious and technical. Magsayo announced that if he wins tonight, he will face Joseph Diaz Jr. of the United States in an eliminator to earn a shot at WBO world featherweight champion Oscar Valdez of Mexico. Magsayo is ranked No. 2 in the WBO featherweight division while Diaz Jr. is the No. 1 contender. * * * In the supporting event, Prince Albert Pagara (28-1, 19 KOs) will clash with Mohammed Kambuluta (16-3, 5 KOs) of Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania in a 10-round showdown. Pagara weighed 124.5 lbs while Kambuluta registered 125 lbs as both fighters will engage in the superbantamweight division. This is still part of Pagara's road to redemption and slowly but surely he has recovered from the trauma of a knockout loss to Cesar Juarez, who dealt him his first defeat. * * * After the KO loss to Juarez, Pagara won over Raymond Commey of Ghana by unanimous decision. In his last fight, he stopped Aekkawee Kaewmanee of Thailand in the fourth round. When asked by this writer about his preparations for the fight in Bohol, the Maasin City fighter humbly says he will do his best to come out victorious to satisfy his countrymen. He said he reduced to the ideal weight, and that was before the official weigh-in. And surely he was able to get the prescribed superbantamweight limit. * * * Mark Magsayo is always compared to another ALA boxing star and fellow Boholano Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista of Candijay, Bohol. Bautista was discovered by Nemi Monton, ABAP Region VII president, who allowed him to fight in amateur bouts in Bohol. Searching for greener pastures, Bautista turned pro just a week before his 17th birthday. Winning his first eight fights, Bautista campaigned in Indonesia, South Korea, and Japan. He defeated Thai Saensak Singmanasak for the WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight title. * * * Bautista defeated Mexican Marino Montiel for the WBO Inter-Continental and Asia Pacific Youth super bantamweight titles. He then fought in The World Awaits undercard of Oscar De La Hoya against Floyd Mayweather where he defeated the then unbeaten Argentine Sergio Manuel Medina by UD. Bautista failed in his first attempt at a world title, when he suffered a first-round TKO loss to the hands of Daniel Ponce de Leon in the Boxing World Cup Philippines vs. Mexico in California. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.  |
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