DUE to a family anniversary last Saturday, I had to settle for television replays for Pinoy Pride 35.
There is always something so primal and elemental about watching a fight live at ringside and some of that excitement is lost and cannot be replicated when you view it on television screen.
Anyway, for those of you who still haven’t seen a boxing card live, please reconsider. I promise you, it?ll be one of the things you can strike off your bucket list.
PAGARA. ?Prince? Albert added Yesner Talavera to his growing list of conquests, as he easily outworked the defensive-minded Nicaraguan to win via lopsided scores of 120-107 (twice) and 119-108.
Pagara was undoubtedly the faster, stronger fighter and he was never in any danger throughout the fight as Talavera seemed content to survive as soon as it became apparent he was patently out of his league.
The Maasin, Leyte native practically toyed with Talavera and even scored a knockdown in round 7.
His trademark smirk was on display all throughout the fight, indicating how confident he was. His record now stands at 26-0, 18 Kos.
MAGSAYO. Mark ?Magnifico? Magsayo also had his way with his opponent and won via unanimous decision. Magsayo is one of our rising prospects and pumped up his record to 13-0, 10Kos.
Magsayo is actually penciled to fight again next month- if plans don?t miscarry- in the undercard of Nonito Donaire’s fight against Zsolt Bedak here in Cebu on April 23.
Eduardo Montoya came in with an impressive record of 17-4, 13 Kos but Magsayo handled him quite well, and this 20- year old pug seems to fight with maturity well beyond his years.
SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT. Pagara is currently ranked no 7 by The Ring Magazine at this division and that victory will probably move him up a notch in the rankings.
What’s interesting is that Donaire holds the no.4 spot while former ALA Gym teammate Genesis Servania is at No.5
If indeed Pagara?s win merits a promotion, that means Pinoys will hold consecutive spots 4-6 in this division, a feat I suspect has never been realized before in our country?s boxing history.
With so many Pinoys bunched up together you cannot help but wonder if fights between any of these 3 could be a possibility.
Speaking of fights between countrymen- just last weekend, Carl Frampton who is ranked no. 2 and Scott Quigg, ranked no. 3, who both hail from the United Kingdom, went at it in a very entertaining scrap in Manchester, England.
Frampton (22-0, 14 Kos) started off strong and won the early rounds before Quigg battled back and came alive in the championship rounds.
The hotly-contested bout which polarized British boxing fans was a title- unification fight, and in the end Frampton romped off with the IBF and WBA diadems.
If Donaire wins next month in his defense of the WBO trinket, a reckoning with Frampton would be highly anticipated.
Ironically, left in the dust is the guy with the number 1 ranking- Guillermo Rigondeaux, but I shed no tears for him and I’m certain most boxing fans feel the same way.
His boring, defensive style is just too painful to watch, and because at the end of the day, boxing is a business, promoters are not quite keen on supporting fighters who can’t put butts on seats.
In the meantime, Pagara and Servania have to keep on winning in order to remain relevant in what is turning out to be one of the most exciting divisions in the sport today.
LAST ROUND. It’s on Sydney Dawn Cashmere Bolongan Lizares, who turns 18 on Friday. Cheers, Cas!
