Former world super flyweight champion Marvin Sonsona eked out a lopsided 10-round decision win over tough Mexican Carlos Jacobo to announce he is back in business and is ready to conquer the world again.
Sonsona disappeared from the boxing scene for 20 months following his stoppage loss to another Mexican, Wilfredo Vazquez Jr, in a failed attempt to nail his second world title in as many weight classes.
Once hailed as another potential boxing star, Sonsona took success for granted and was stripped of his super flyweight after failing to meet the weight limit in the first defense of his world title he won against Jose Lopez of Canada in 2009.
Given a second chance, he came under-trained against Vasquez who stopped him in four rounds for the World Boxing Organization super bantamweight title.
Sonsona went into seclusion in his home city General Santos, drowning himself with alcohol and was given up for the basket case by his manager Sammy Gello-ani.
Boxing however runs in the blood of the Sonsonas.
He literally begged Gello-ani to give him another chance.
Saturday night, Sonsona gave a good account of himself displaying snapshots and vestiges of his power and good boxing skills.
The long layoff however was very evident against Jacobo. His timing was off and was almost gassed out in the middle rounds. His innate and still raw boxing skills however still prevailed. He knocked down the game Jacobo in the closing seconds of the eight round and would have finished off the Mexican had the bell not rang to end the round. He coasted along in the last two rounds to win easily,
On Sunday, it is Nonito Donaire?s turn to make his own comeback, of sorts.
Donaire?s boxing career was put on hold after an almost acrimonious spat with his promoter Bob Arum and Top Rank.
He felt he was not given the right breaks and exposure that went Manny Pacquiao?s way.
He signed with Golden Boy Promotion despite threats of legal backlash.
He would eventually resign with Bob Arum and now, he will be defending his title against undefeated but already 36-year old Omar Narvaez of Argentina, holder of the World Boxing Organization super flyweight title.
Donaire World Boxing Council and World Boxing Organization bantamweight title.
Donaire is ranked among the world?s top pound for pound boxers, going as high as fourth in some boxing scribe?s list.
Like Pacquiao and Sonsona, Donaire traces his roots from General Santos where he grew up before migrating to the US with his family as a nine-year old boy.
Unlike Sonsona, however, Donaire?s last fight was just eight months ago. But for a boxer of his caliber, it is quite sometime already.
And considering that he knocked out Fernando Montiel in just two rounds, the eight-month layoff becomes more problematic for Donaire who is reportedly walking around at 140 pounds.
Donaire, at 28, is no longer a spring chicken although it is still a long way before he is ?culled.?
He has at least another five to seven years of boxing life and at least two more weight divisions to conquer, a not to ambitious project for a guy who stands at 5?7? while weighing only 118 pounds for his Narvaez fight. He is tall for a bantamweight. Narvaez stands four inches shorter than Donaire.
All things considered, Donaire should hurdle past Narvaez.
Rep. Manny Pacquiao will, maybe not sooner but eventually, be lost to Philippine politics.
Both Donaire and Sonsona have what it takes to become the next Filipino boxing idols.
