Following his smashing win over Nicaragua’s Daniel Diaz, Bohol native Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo will be up against a more experienced opponent when he faces a veteran fighter Saturday.
Magsayo will defend his WBO international featherweight crown against Shota Hayashi, a veteran of 37 fights and a former Japanese featherweight king, in the main event of “Pinoy Pride 43” at Bohol Wisdom Gymnasium in Tagbilaran City.
At the weigh-in Friday, Magsayo tipped the scales at 126 pounds, according to Philboxing.com. Hayashi came in a pound lighter at 125.
Magsayo is highly motivated coming into the bout as a win would land him a title-eliminator opportunity and bring him closer to his world title dreams.
?I really want (world featherweight champion Oscar) Valdez,? Magsayo said in a report on ABS-CBN Sports.
Magsayo is ranked No. 2 in WBO’s featherweight list. The reigning world champion is Valdez, who recently defended his crown against another ALA fighter, Genesis Servania.
Trainer Edito Villamor said his team expects a drawn-out bout against Hayashi.
?Ang mga Hapon, warriors talaga. They never give up. Parang sa kanila kahihiyan ‘pag sumuko,? Villamor said.
Hayashi has 30 wins, 18 of them by knockout, apart from 6 losses and a draw, while Magsayo is undefeated in 17 bouts.
Hayashi boasted that his experience will be too much for Magsayo.
“(I) was fighting since I was 16 years old, so I’ve been here longer than Magsayo. My performance on Saturday will show everyone how much I’ve learned throughout the years,” the Japanese fighter said through a translator in a video posted on ALA Boxing?s Facebook page.
But Magsayo’s confidence is sky high, thanks to his first-round destruction of Diaz in July. He decked Diaz twice before finally knocking him out with a vicious left hook to the head.
