HOLLYWOOD–He wasn’t so Marvelous Saturday night in Puerto Rico.
It may have been too much pressure, too much too soon, for 19 year old Pinoy fighter Marvin Sonsona.
Sonsona’s professional ring aspirations are by no means ruined or shattered but he did take at least a temporary detour as he was knocked out by the more experienced, ring savvy Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. in their world title bout.
But, while Sonsona’s career hit a bump with a fourth round KO loss, the boxing dream of an 18 year old, starry-eyed Fil Am teenager from Indiana was just beginning.
Julian Santos Chua, a Golden Gloves champ from the Midwest whose mother Ronette is a neonatologist, has a double sided dream of becoming the first Filipino to ever win an Olympic gold medal in any sport and then to go onto a a thriving pro career.
As Muhammad Ali used to say about his trainer Angelo Dundee, “He’s got the complexion and the connections to get me the proper affection.”
Santos Chua’s boxing connection is veteran manager-journalist-political operative and raconteur Hammering Hermie Rivera. He and the boxer’s physician mother met up through—get this a mutual friend who is, I kid you not a Pinoy neurosurgeon in Indiana.
The sagacious Rivera, father of six successful children himself and the manager who guided Pinoy Luisito Espinoza to a world title, brougfht Santos Chua’s story, his dream, to Coach Freddie Roach and to Pinoy Idol Manny Pacquiao.
Roach has taken to the young boxer and will start tutoring him here at the Wild Card Gym on June 1, just after Julian gets his high school diploma.
On Saturday, the hopeful fighter met with Roach, assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez and Pacman.
I asked Julian if he was nervous, especially in being introduced to Pacman at his familiar post workout dining spot, the cozy Nat’s Thai Restaurant which is a spit bucket throw away from Roach’s gym.
“I was, it was amazing,” Santos Chua said upon reflection Sunday morning.
Talk about visiting Hollywood and seeing some stars.
Santos Chua said Pacman joked with him, testing his ability to speak Tagalog and mimicking how many Fil-Am’s enunicate their words with a very hard “t.”
“My goodness, even though he was busy and tired, Manny so gracious. My son was just overwhelmed and tearful for the honor of meeting Manny and Coach Roach like this,
Julian’s 20 year old brother Patrick, about to enter Special Forces training for the Army at Ft. Benning and an MMA athlete himself, was along for the ride. Marvelous Marvin Sonsona: Pinoy star’s ring career at crossroads after devastating KO in title bout in Puerto Rico
The crushing loss in Puerto Rico may only be a blip for Sonsona’s professional path. Only time will tell.
You can’t write off a prospect like Sonsona on the basis of one defeat especially at his tender age and considering that it was a road defeat.
Maybe this was just a temporary setback, a bump in the road. We can hope.
For Julian Santos Chua, who hopes to bring Olympic gold to his homeland, the dream is on Page One.
For Sonsona, the saga is to be continued.
