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Philippines, 22 Feb 2026 |
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A MARVELOUS REBIRTH? By Rene Bonsubre, Jr. PhilBoxing.com Sat, 10 May 2014  QUEZON CITY ? Filipino boxing fans are very familiar with his story. He held a world title when he was nineteen years old, the second youngest boxing champion in Philippine history. Sportswriters and fans were heaping praises on him. He seemed destined to be the next great southpaw from Gen. Santos City. And then his world turned upside down. After two months, he lost his title at the scales. Another three months passed and he suffered his first career loss. Marvin Sonsona failed to live up to his ring moniker ?Marvelous?. Rumors circulated about his undisciplined lifestyle. He disappeared for twenty months before making a successful return against Carlos Jacobo of Mexico. But Sonsona was fighting only once a year and it looked as if he was doomed to be another sad story in a country that is full of sad stories. But public perception can change overnight. In Sonsona?s case, it changed in a split second last February in the form of a one punch knockout against Akifumi Shimoda of Japan in Macau. The brutal poetry of his left uppercut jogged our memory back to the promise of greatness that we saw in 2009.    Photos: Sonsona works out at the Yraola Gym in Quezon City Friday afternoon. Photos by Dong Secuya. Sonsona is now 23 years old and is back in the gym of Dr. Rajan Yraola preparing to avenge the 4th round knockout loss he suffered to Wilfredo Vazquez,Jr of Puerto Rico. Last year, he was also back with his old team, trainer Jun Agrabio, who together with Dr.Yraola, were in his corner when Sonsona stopped Jason Egera in eight rounds in Balamban,Cebu. Philboxing visited Dr.Yraola?s gym in Quezon City Friday afternoon to observe his training first hand. Sonsona sparred the full twelve rounds against Philippine superfeatherweight champ Edgar Gabejan and world ranked Thai Padjai Yongyuthgym, who is the PABA superfeatherweight titlist. With beads of sweat cascading down his face and torso, Sonsona showed sharpness, punch accuracy and mobility. Sonsona has shown that he has been able to carry his power as he moved up in weight. But trainer Agrabio is not satisfied, ?It?s not enough that he punches hard, he should land punches that really hurt.? Agrabio drilled Sonsona with the punch mitts for another four rounds. Dr. Yraola is confident when it comes to Sonsona?s conditioning. But his team is wary considering that they will still be the underdog going into this NABF featherweight title bout set at the Madison Square Garden in New York on June 7. Their rematch will be on the undercard of the blockbuster middleweight title fight between Sergio Martinez of Argentina and Miguel Cotto. Puerto Rican fans are expected to pack the arena cheering for Vazquez and Cotto; this fight card precedes the National Puerto Rican Day parade. ?We know that Vazquez will be very motivated for this fight. The fact that he hired Angel Heredia as a conditioning coach is proof of that.? Yraola and Agrabio were in agreement in their assessment of Vazquez (23-3-1,19KO?s), ?He also needs to turn his career around after losses to (Jorge) Arce, Nonito Donaire and when he lost in Macau to Yasutaka Ishimoto.? Both were also confident that Sonsona (18-1-1,15KO?s) will achieve his peak form in time for this bout. He will be drilled to go fourteen rounds before they leave for the United States. ?I won?t promise anything,? Sonsona told philboxing after his training session, ?But I will try really hard to get back at him.? Sonsona was very relaxed inside the ring and joked around with his sparmates and the other fighters after his training session. He remains one of the best talents this country has; a natural and instinctive fighter. But he will have to erase the bitter memory of his 4th round KO loss in Bayamon four years ago. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..  |
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