Word was spreading fast here, in Canada, with respect to Pinoy puncher/boxer, Marvin Doecadez Sonsona. He was being promoted by a group of individuals including high-powered Boxing Agent Sampson Lewkowicz.
Sonsona was eighteen years of age, with thirteen wins, twelve by knockout, and on September 4, 2009 was to fight the seasoned forty-eight fight veteran Jose Lopez at Casino Rama, Rama, Ontario, Canada for the WBO Super Flyweight title. He was a promoters dream coming with the title wave of popularity of certain Hall of Famer legend Manny Pacquiao. Sonsona was from the same birthplace, General Santos City, was a southpaw, had flair, good looks, and exciting knockout power.
At Cabbagetown it was clear that Sonsona had abnormal power as he thudded the heavy bags and lightning reflexes as he worked the speed bags and did his skipping. He brought electricity to the gym those September Fall days.
Jose Lopez ? Teenage Title Holder
Sonsona, wearing long black leggings, and didn?t disappoint in what turned out to be a tough fight in earning a WBO Super Flyweight title just before his nineteenth birthday. ?Marvelous? was all that was advertised as he showed length, speed and power in dropping Lopez early in the fourth round and providing an engaging fight. True to his heritage Lopez refused to disappear into the night but Sonsona earned a solid decision.
Back at Rama
Some two months later Sonsona was back to face Alejandro Hernandez. There was some slight differences to be acknowledged in this fight and perhaps, by way of a pugilist portent, it was evident before the fight.
A group of individuals, including my friend Michael Schmidt, went for a steak dinner, about an hour before the fight venue opened up. Young Sonsona, now with a streak of dyed blond hair, was engaging a group of young females, at the centre rotunda inside Casino Rama, for photographs. Both Schmidt and I raised our eyebrows. Schmidt commented that it was interesting that young Sonsona was not yet inside the boxing venue focusing but, as Schmidt further stated, ?To each his own and whatever works!?
It was a rough night for young Sonsona as he was not only forced to vacate the belt due to not making the contractual weight, but injured his hand in fighting a battering twelve round draw.
After the fight Schmidt attended a promoters post-fight party. He advised that Sonsona was in severe pain and that his hand was swollen like a baseball. Schmidt advised that Sonsona had told him, through an interpreter, that his primary goal was to be able to make enough money to buy a house for his mother and retire with his health. Noble and wise goals to each!
Then Came Vazquez Jr.
Early in 2010 Sonsona engaged the undefeated Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., at a further weight, in Vazquez? back yard of Bayamon, Puerto Rico. A devastating body shot ended matters in round four. Sonsona would engage, sporadically, in boxing with one fight in each of 2011, 2012, and 2013.
You Only Live Twice
In what may end up as the knockout of the year Sonsona, this past February, earned the vacant WBO International Featherweight title with a stunning stoppage of Akifumi Shimoda. A youthful twenty-three years of age Sonsona has risen from the depths of his devastating loss to Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. and put himself back in the primary spotlight of a big showdown rematch at Madison Square Garden on June 7th against Vazquez Jr. This has all the makings of a primary firestorm and one must congratulate Marvin Sonsona. In a present boxing climate of many fighters avoiding tough challenges, Sonsona in stepping back into a rematch against the man that provided him with his own loss, should be applauded as a true warrior.
Vazquez in many ways mirrors Sonsona; he is youthful, dynamic, and has firepower in either hands.
For Sonsona this represents A SECOND CHANCE, an opportunity of a lifetime, and, if he wins, a position for future big paydays, and boxing glory, in what is evolving as a red hot Featherweight division.
