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Philippines, 23 Nov 2024 |
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How Are We Faring in Our Traditional Weight Classes? (Third of Four Parts) By Teodoro Medina Reynoso PhilBoxing.com Mon, 26 Dec 2022  Mark Magsayo (L) and Marlon Tapales. Introduction The unbundling of the original eight boxing weight classes has, through particularly last more than forty years, resulted in the what we have as 17 Divisions, 18 if we will consider the newly coined bridgerweight class, currently. Be that as it may, there have been boxing purists that still reckon professional boxing based on the original eight to ten weight classes, i.e. flyweight as the lowest division and the heavyweights as the biggest which it is still now, despite the call by some to institute the so called super heavyweight class. Their main argument is that the original weight classes have been instituted based on sound scientific grounds taking into consideration physical and physiological factors, though those were determined more than a century ago. Purists agreed to give some more grounds beginning the late 80s though as the combined factors of physiologically growing population and the fact that the weight difference in certain higher divisions is indeed too huge to overcome or compensate (especially for those moving up, or down, in weight), resulted to the creation of the minimumweight otherwise known as straw weight as the smallest division and the institution of the light/junior and super classes between and among the other divisions. From the dawn of boxing back at the turn of the last century and through the years and decades that followed, Filipino boxers have established themselves and even created a niche in certain weight classes, particularly in the flyweight and lightweight divisions, to include the junior and super classes. In the initial part, we reviewed and discussed how Filipino fighters fared in the past three to five years in what used to be a gold mine division, the flyweights, which for the purpose of this study, included the minimumweight and the light flyweight classes. We are not doing well especially in the main flyweight class (maximum weight limit of 112 lbs) where we have not produced a major world champion since Brian Viloria and Donnie Nietes in 2017. In this third part, we will endeavor to assess our performance and prospects, if any in the featherweight division (maximum weight limit of 126 lbs) which for this purpose includes the junior featherweight or super bantamweight class (122 lbs) but not the heavier super featherweight division which at 130 lbs is well over the traditional featherweight limit. Part 3: The Featherweights Continuing Enigma When Mark Magsayo seated a shock earlier this year by being the first fighter since Vasily Lomachenko to beat the usually brilliant American Gary Russell Jr to wrest his once long held WBC featherweight crown, I said to myself it was a fluke win and that Mark's reign won't last. First off, Mark defeated a virtually one armed Russell who injured his right arm very early in their contest and yet was relatively successful in spots in fending and fighting off the Filipino. Russell after the bout even claimed that he should have won on the merit of what he did or the fight at least should have been declared a draw. But the decision was final and it stood. Magsayo is the first Filipino boxer to win a major belt at 126 lbs after Nonito Donaire last won the WBA super belt via disqualification over Simphiwe Vetyeka back in the mid 2010s, and only the fourth overall after Luisito Espinosa broke the jinx in 1995 and the exceptional Manny Pacquiao first won an official though lineal world title as recognized by the Ring Magazine over Mexican great Marco Antonio Barrera in 2003. Before 1995, no Filipino has ascended to the world featherweight throne including the late great Gabriel Flash Elorde who defeated the rugged American world champion Sandy Saddler in non title bout in Manila but lost to the dirty fighting Saddler in their world title rematch in San Francisco City, USA. Magsayo eventually lost his newly won WBC belt in his first title defense to rangy Mexican former unbeaten WBO junior featherweight King Rey Vargas by unanimous decision. Many casual Filipino boxing fans were disappointed with the result believing Magsayo could knock out Vargas especially in the later rounds as he did against his previous Mexican victims Julio Ceja and Pablo Cruz. They forgot that Magsayo struggled in his win over a pedestrian Rigoberto Hermosillo before meeting Cruz and Ceja. Actually, Magsayo only got the break fighting Russell as a substitute for original mandatory challenger Vargas who had to pull out due to training injury The WBC ruled that the winner between Russell and Magsayo would have to defend against Vargas. Hence the Magsayo versus Vargas fight which Mark lost. The break did not last. Earlier Genesis Servania gave Filipinos some proud moments as he acquitted himself very well against then WBA titlist Oscar Valdez even scoring a knockdown. But apparently he lost steam in the championship rounds and lost by close decision. Valdez would later win another world title at super featherweight stopping fellow highly regarded Mexican Miguel Berchelt before losing big to the super talented Shakur Stevenson. But Servania would not last long at 126 and is now campaigning in the lightweights with awful results. Actually, I would be either smiling in amusement or shaking my head whenever I chance upon a Filipino boxing blog vlogger reporting and discussing the chances of Pinoy Fighters fighting abroad in and around the featherweights. Most of their so called analyses are far off as the exuberant expectations of their mostly local followers. The great disconnect with reality is borne out of rabid patriotism and deep lack of historical understanding about boxing particularly in those weight classes. Truth to tell, for Filipinos and actually other Asians, the featherweights is the start of our big boys league. Indeed, some of our noted fighters and world beaters in the higher weights as Ceferino Garcia, Elorde, Roberto Cruz and Pedro Adigue had tenures fighting at 126 lbs. Manny Pacquiao on his way up from flyweight through welterweights spent a considerable time campaigning in the featherweights including the super bantamweight or junior featherweight where he won the first of his series of other world championships after his very first at flyweight back in 1998. But many Filipinos fail to reckon that both Ceferino Garcia and Pacquiao are what we call as generational wonders. As is Nonito Donaire who won titles from flyweight to featherweight in the 2000s. Obviously, Espinosa hit his ceiling at 126. When the featherweight class was instituted at the dawn of boxing, it was designed for fighters no longer small for the lower weight classes but are built and suited for the higher weights. Theoretically, it was primarily a starting point for boxers with potentials for more exploits, honors as well as titles and even greatness in what was then the glamour weight classes starting in the lightweight. The featherweight is essentially a pre-departure division for the lightweights and beyond though the 126 lbs class is distinct on and has distinguished history of its own. Indeed, the featherweight lived and continues to live up to its billing with great champions as Willy Pep and Sandy Saddler distinguishing themselves and transitional fighters and champions as Tony Canzoneri, Henry Armstrong and Alexis Arguello in the past and Vasily Lomachenko and potentially Shakur Stevenson winning honors and titles in the lightweights and beyond. That is what we need to understand and accept if we are to harbor lofty expectations from our Filipino fighters campaigning in this division. Right now, Magsayo remains as our brightest hope for another world title at featherweight and one thing going for him is that he started out as a full fledged featherweight unlike many of his predecessors and even contemporaries who just rose up in the ranks from the lower weight classes. Significantly, Magsayo has been named by the WBC to figure in a series of world title eliminators, against former WBO super bantamweight titlist Isaac Dogboe in anticipation of Vargas moving up to junior lightweight or super featherweights as he is fighting for the vacant WBC 130 lbs title versus O'Shaquie Foster. If he wins, he has to decide in which division is going to fight. Omar Figueroa and Stephen Fulton will fight for a rematch for the interim title. If Vargas doesn’t return to featherweight, the winner will become full champion. The winner between Magsayo and Dogboe will become the mandatory challenger. Also bear following is the youthful Lienard Sarcon who recently won the WBA Asia featherweight title by knockout over South Korean KO artist and defending champion Jeon Soon Kang in Seoul who has previously defeated a number of Filipino fighters including Pete Apolinar. Sarcon 22, is undefeated in ten fights with four KO victories and quite tall at 5'8" which could be an asset at that weight. In the junior featherweight, former WBO bantamweight titlist Marlon "The Maranding Nightmare" Tapales is the mandatory challenger to unified WBA-IBF titleholder Morudjon Akhmadaliev of Uzbekistan and their fight despite earlier request for postponement by Akhmadaliev due to alleged training injury has been ordered to push through ASAP with IBF threatening to hold a purse bidding if agreement cannot be reached per its deadline. However it may be asking for too much for Tapales to move up further to the featherweights regardless of the outcome of his title quest versus the undefeated Uzbek banger. Next: Part 4-The "Everest" Lightweight Division Part I: What Are We Missing At Flyweight? Part II: The Bantamweight Bubble is Still On The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.  |
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