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Time running out on Sonsona By Joaquin Henson PhilBoxing.com Thu, 15 Sep 2016  Sammy Gello-ani has been involved in boxing for nearly 30 years, starting out as Tony Aldeguer?s right-hand man with the ALA Boxing Gym in 1987. He eventually went on his own, matchmaking, promoting and managing fighters starting in 2007. Today, Gello-ani, 65, is as active in the fight game as he was back in the day although the fighters in his stable are down to a chosen few. There was a time when Gello-ani, who lives in Cebu, supervised the careers of over 30 fighters. Now, he?s focused on IBF flyweight champion Johnriel Casimero and budding star Jessie Espinas, the reigning WBO Oriental lightflyweight titlist who has won his last three bouts, all by knockout, in Thailand. Another Gello-ani prospect is 24-year-old PBF featherweight champion Chris Rosales, a 5-8 boxer-puncher with a 20-0-1 record, including eight KOs. A journeyman in his stable is 31-year-old former Philippine lightweight king Rey Labao who last month lost to Petros Ananyan in Moscow on a fifth round stoppage. Labao has a 27-9 record, with 18 KOs, and has lost three of his last four outings but remains a dangerous proposition. Gello-ani is particularly excited about Espinas who?s only 23. The southpaw has a 15-2 record, with 11 KOs, and appears to be headed to the top. Gello-ani said he plans bigger fights for Espinas next year. Among his prospects, Gello-ani singled out Espinas as the kid most likely to become a world champion. Gello-ani was with Casimero when he stopped Charlie Edwards to retain his IBF crown in London over the weekend. He said Casimero is one of the best fighters he?s ever handled. ?Back when I worked for Mr. Aldeguer, we had great fighters like Z Gorres, Ramy Dumpa, Michael Domingo and of course, Donnie Nietes,? he said. ?Later, I worked with other fighters like Jerwin Ancajas who?s now a world champion, Adones Cabalquinto and probably the best of them all, Marvin Sonsona. Unfortunately, Marvin is very undisciplined.? **** Sonsona, 26, won the WBO superflyweight title when he was 19 in 2009. An extraordinary talent in the ring, he?s gifted with power and a high skill level. But he could never get serious in his career. Two months after capturing the WBO crown, Sonsona was stripped of the title on the scales for failing to make the weight in his first defense against Alejandro Hernandez. In 2010, Gello-ani and Las Vegas-based Uruguay business agent Sampson Lewkowicz arranged for Sonsona to battle Wilfredo Vasquez, Jr. for the vacant WBO superbantamweight title in Puerto Rico. Sonsona showed up in poor condition and lost by a fourth round knockout. Four years later, Sonsona turned the tables on Vasquez, scoring a first round knockdown on the way to a win by split decision. Sonsona hasn?t fought since outpointing Californian Jonathan Arellano in Carson City in June last year. Gello-ani said he was close to confirming a fight for Sonsona against then-WBC featherweight champion Jhonny Gonzalez but the Filipino wasn?t ready. Instead, Gonzalez took on Gary Russell and lost the crown. Gello-ani worked out a fight against Russell but once more, Sonsona wasn?t available. Another fight that Gello-ani almost had in the bag was against WBA superfeatherweight champion Javier Fortuna. Sonsona could?ve easily beaten Fortuna but again, was not ready. Fortuna eventually lost his title to Jason Sosa last June. ?I wanted Marvin to stay in the US for a year so he could focus on boxing,? said Gello-ani. ?When he became world champion, Marvin suddenly felt he was a rock star, putting on tattoos and wearing earrings. He had drinking sprees with his friends. After his fight against Arellano in Carson, he asked to go on vacation in San Francisco. We thought it would be fine since at least, he would remain in the US. But he got homesick and wanted to go back home, promising to return in a few weeks. So he came home. We were fixing a world title fight for Marvin in September but we couldn?t get him to go back to the US. He missed two flights.? **** Gello-ani said he did everything possible to get Sonsona back on track. ?Last year, we sent him to the US with Casimero,? he said. ?They trained in Big Bear and we even got Memo Heredia to work with him. But Marvin is hard-headed. I think he?s more of a talent than Casimero only he has no discipline. Two months before fighting Arellano, Marvin went up to 168 pounds. He brought down his weight to 127 1/2. Since he hasn?t fought for over a year, you can just imagine how much he weighs now.? Gello-ani said he?s leaving the door open for Sonsona to reform. ?His girlfriend gave birth a month ago,? he said. ?Before that, Marvin called to promise he would get back in the gym. I told him he has to be serious this time and once he brings down his weight to 135, I?ll bring him to Cebu to train. He?s still in General Santos and I heard sometimes, he trains in the morning then drinks in the afternoon. I have to be firm with him. If Marvin wants to become world champion again, he has to realize it will only happen if he works hard and focuses on what he has to do. If he comes back, I won?t make him train with Casimero. I don?t want Casimero to be distracted. Casimero is very focused on his career and that?s why he?s world champion. Marvin should learn from Casimero?s example.? Time is running out on Sonsona. He remains highly regarded in boxing with a 20-1-1 record, including 15 KOs. But slowly, even Gello-ani is beginning to lose interest. The future is still wide open for the 5-7 southpaw known as Marvelous. Unless Sonsona puts his head back in place soon, he could end up one of the sad stories in professional boxing----a former world champion derailed on the road to glory, winding up as a forgotten hero who lost his way to the top. Photo: Marvin Sonsona (R) connects at Jonathan Arellano in Sonsona's last ring appearance in June last year at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.  |
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