Los Angeles ? Unbeaten featherweight prospect Mark Magsayo has caught the fancy of no less than Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach.
Magsayo, who battles Yardley Suarez of Mexico underneath the Donnie Nietes headliner on Saturday night at the StubHub Center in Carson, has been training at Roach?s Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood the past several weeks.
?That guy has a lot of promise,? Roach said, pointing to the 5-6 Bohol-born puncher who has an 11-0 record with nine KOs.
Roach also heaved praises on the Pagara brothers Jason and Prince Albert and even Nietes ? who actually came in late ? but the 55-year-old cornerman of Manny Pacquiao has apparently fallen over Magsayo.
Just 20 years old, Magsayo is fighting for the first time outside the Philippines and he has earned raves from the usually hard-to-please Roach.
?I really like the way he throws his punches,? said Roach, who had nothing but kind words for all the fighters from the ALA Boxing of Cebu City.
Saturday night, Magsayo will feel a little bit of pressure on his shoulders but the Filipino is confident he will not disappoint.
When Suarez taunted him, vowing that Magsayo will get knocked out in less than two rounds, Magsayo felt slighted.
?Let?s see what he does,? said Magsayo in English, drawing cheers from those in attendance during Thursday?s press conference in Carson.
