THE last time I saw Mark Magsayo up close, he left no doubt on the thousands who saw his match that he was going to be a future world champion.
Matched against the sturdy Chris Avalos, Magsayo suffered his first knockdown early before roaring back in the sixth to stop Avalos and capture the WBO international featherweight title.
It was in the undercard of Nonito Donaire?s defense of his WBO super bantamweight belt against Zsolt Bedak. But the roar of the appreciative crowd, who packed the Cebu City Sports Center early, made it feel like the main event.
He would have four more bouts after that, including a defense of the WBO belt in Carson, California, but Magsayo would disappear from the limelight after his last bout against Shota Hayashi.
The reason is quite awful. The once future world champion got caught in a dispute with ALA Promotions, which discovered and nurtured him since he made his debut on May 25, 2013. Magsayo isn?t the only fighter to bolt the ALA camp but I think his departure made the most noise because of his high profile.
Naturally, ALA protested and a case was filed, saying it still has an existing promotional contract with the boxer, who denied such and said he was free to sign with anybody.
That he was back in the ring and was to face the unheralded Erick Deztroyer last April 12 might mean the dispute is over. I say might because the fight was held in Singapore and the Games and Amusements Board doesn?t have any jurisdiction there. But I hope I?m wrong.
Magsayo is so promising a boxer to lose his best years mired in a contract dispute. In disputes like this, some are too quick to pick the side of the boxer because of that notion that all boxing stables, managers and promoters are greedy bloodsuckers out to exploit them.
But let?s not be quick to prejudge ALA Promotions; I don?t think you?d stay decades in the business if your business model is skewed.
I hope Magsayo picks up pace and makes up for that almost year lull. I think if not for that, he?d be a world champion now. Of course,
I?m not putting any blame on any party. Such is one of the overlooked aspects of the sweet science; off ring events can derail a promising career.
I hope to see Magsayo a world champion.
