Mark Magsayo bids to emulate his hero and mentor, Manny Pacquiao, by becoming a world boxing champion from the Philippines.
The undefeated contender, who is 23-0, goes into a WBC super-featherweight title challenge as the +300 underdog tonight against champion Gary Russell Jr.
However, Magsayo is in form while Russell Jr. has been out for two years and inactive since becoming the world ruler back in 2015.
Punters shouldn’t sniff at those odds for a hungry challenger who is fully capable of taking the green and gold strap.
Discussing his chances, Magsayo is ready for anything Russell throws at him.
“Gary is a really good fighter. I’ve wanted to fight him for a long time. Now the opportunity is here, and I can’t wait for the fight. I’m not expecting any ring rust from Gary Russell.
“I think I’m the fighter who wants to beat him more than anyone else has. I’m here to give him his second loss on Saturday night.
“I can fight, and I can adjust. I have speed just like Gary does. On Saturday, we’ll put our skills up against each other.” Gary Russell Jr Mark Magsayo Amanda Westcott MANNY PACQUIAO
On following in the footsteps of Manny Pacquiao, who represents him as the promoter, Magsayo added:
“Manny Pacquiao is my idol, ever since I was a kid. I started training at eight years old to become the world champion one day. Now that time is here. I’m so happy that Manny signed me to his promotional company, and I’m grateful.
“I learned a lot from the Julio Ceja fight. I showed that I could adjust, that I could brawl and that I could box when I had to. That fight has helped me so much.
“It’s great to have Freddie Roach and Marvin Somodio helping me every day. I thought that I already knew boxing, but when I came to the gym, they corrected my mistakes and made me a much more accurate puncher.
“Filipinos are born strong. We are warriors. I’m going to bring that attitude and that mentality into the fight.”
