TO WHOM WILL “PACMAN” PASS THE TORCH? (PART 2)
24 September, 2006 by Reylan Loberternos
“FILIPINO CONNECTION” EXAMINES THE HOPEFULS
Tagbilaran City, RP-In the continuing saga of finding the next great performer in Philippine boxing, it is not an easy task to determine the categories from which a person can base his or her choices. It becomes a lot more intricate if you’re speaking of who’s going to fill the shoes of pound-for-pound boxing superstar Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (42-3-2, 33 KOs) once he abdicates his throne. The list of choices is long and difficult to dissect. Nevertheless, here are a couple of the Pinoy pugs that I think you shouldn’t miss in the days to come.
MAYOL TOPS MY LIST! AND YOU?
If there were a Filipino fighter who could best exemplify the “Pacman,” his name would definitely be Rodel “Magnum Force” Mayol (23-1-0, 18 KOs), apart only for his orthodox, as opposed to Pacquiao’s southpaw, stance. At five foot four inches tall, and considerably long reach for his height, he’s definitely a force to reckon with in the little big men’s division. Unlike Pacquiao though, Mayol has had a vast amateur background manifested by his tremendous footwork and excellent boxing skills with a wide variety of punches to boot. But, what separates him from the rest of the flock is the fact that he’s a thinking fighter who packs dynamite in both fists. Half of his 18 KO victories didn’t go beyond the second round, five of which were first round stoppages.
SCORECARDS DO NOT TELL "FULL" STORY
Japan-based Thai Eagle Kyowa (16-1-0, 6 KOs) inflicted Mayol’s one and only loss in an epic championship battle between two very promising pugilists last May. Gale Van Hoy, Chuck Hassett, and Alejandro Rochin respectively scored that WBC 105 lb. title bout 117-110, 115-112, and 114-113, all for the defending champion Kyowa. Unless one sees the video of that boxing showdown, these numbers are just a mere summary of who the judges thought won on each particular round, not really telling the drama that unfolded during that fateful evening. Mayol was on his way to bag his first world championship belt, as he dominated Kyowa during the first half of their twelve-round encounter. He rocked the champion several times with powerful bombs and sneaking uppercuts, which silenced the huge partisan crowd inside the jam-packed Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Then came a sudden turn of events. Kyowa, showing the true heart of a champion, slowly but surely turned the tide in his favor, connecting with his patented overhand right with increased accuracy, doing efficient damage on the obviously gassed out challenger, to the delight of the hometown fans.
EXPERIENCE WAS THE BIG DIFFERENCE
It might sound ironic, but Kyowa, who had five less registered bouts than Mayol, was the more experienced fighter prior to that classic encounter. If you look closely, Kyowa had already logged a total of 123 career rounds (55 of those in championship bouts), compared to Mayol’s 121 going into that bout, not to mention that the Thai champ had better quality opposition to boast of. Experience spelled the outcome of that thrilling battle. Mayol did not want to take it to the scorecards so he immediately went for the kill, very confident that he’d be able to dispose of Kyowa like he did to his previous victims. He failed in his bid, as the champion gallantly stood his ground and defended his crown. Nothing to be ashamed of for Mayol, as lessons were learned and he lost to arguably the best in his division. Before suffering that solitary loss, he was considered by some, including this writer, as the best-skilled Filipino fighter, Manny Pacquiao included. “Magnum Force” will definitely be a much better all-around boxer-puncher after that painful learning experience!
“BOOMBOOM” COMES IN CLOSE SECOND!
Rey “Boomboom” Bautista (20-0-0, 15 KOs), the twenty-year-old wonder out of the formidable ALA boxing stable, is another must-see Pinoy boxing prospect from the beautiful province of Bohol, one of the country’s top tourist destinations. Bautista now fights under the flagship of Golden Boy Promotions, which has inked a partnership deal with ALA gym. He is currently ranked by the World Boxing Organization as the number one challenger of the 122 lb. division, a spot he also enjoyed while still a bantamweight.
A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
This lofty standing might lead many to wonder why “Boom Boom” hasn’t fought for a world title yet. He was set to tangle with ring veteran Alejandro Felix Montiel (51-8-0, 30 KOs) for the main supporting bout of the Pacquiao-Oscar Larios tussle in Manila last July, only to be replaced a week earlier due to viral influenza. Lighting struck twice, as Bautista sustained a hairline fracture in his right clavicle during training, foiling yet another chance to strut his stuff in a highly anticipated pay-per-view event on the fight card of the Marco Antonio Barrera-Rocky Juarez rematch, which took place early this month. These two successive fights would have served as precursors to a much-awaited opportunity to challenge for the world title.
DON’T FRET, AS THEY’LL BE BACK!
Bautista and Mayol both experienced setbacks, although in diverse fashions. On a positive note, Mayol recently won via first-round KO in his return bout, while Bautista is now back to rigid training at ALA gym in Cebu. Regardless of the fact that such inopportune events significantly stall their journey towards glory, it can never be denied that greatness lies in the horizon for these two budding champions.
This article is the second of three installments. Watch out for the final episode some time next week.
“FILIPINO CONNECTION” EXAMINES THE HOPEFULS
Tagbilaran City, RP-In the continuing saga of finding the next great performer in Philippine boxing, it is not an easy task to determine the categories from which a person can base his or her choices. It becomes a lot more intricate if you’re speaking of who’s going to fill the shoes of pound-for-pound boxing superstar Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (42-3-2, 33 KOs) once he abdicates his throne. The list of choices is long and difficult to dissect. Nevertheless, here are a couple of the Pinoy pugs that I think you shouldn’t miss in the days to come.
MAYOL TOPS MY LIST! AND YOU?
If there were a Filipino fighter who could best exemplify the “Pacman,” his name would definitely be Rodel “Magnum Force” Mayol (23-1-0, 18 KOs), apart only for his orthodox, as opposed to Pacquiao’s southpaw, stance. At five foot four inches tall, and considerably long reach for his height, he’s definitely a force to reckon with in the little big men’s division. Unlike Pacquiao though, Mayol has had a vast amateur background manifested by his tremendous footwork and excellent boxing skills with a wide variety of punches to boot. But, what separates him from the rest of the flock is the fact that he’s a thinking fighter who packs dynamite in both fists. Half of his 18 KO victories didn’t go beyond the second round, five of which were first round stoppages.
SCORECARDS DO NOT TELL "FULL" STORY
Japan-based Thai Eagle Kyowa (16-1-0, 6 KOs) inflicted Mayol’s one and only loss in an epic championship battle between two very promising pugilists last May. Gale Van Hoy, Chuck Hassett, and Alejandro Rochin respectively scored that WBC 105 lb. title bout 117-110, 115-112, and 114-113, all for the defending champion Kyowa. Unless one sees the video of that boxing showdown, these numbers are just a mere summary of who the judges thought won on each particular round, not really telling the drama that unfolded during that fateful evening. Mayol was on his way to bag his first world championship belt, as he dominated Kyowa during the first half of their twelve-round encounter. He rocked the champion several times with powerful bombs and sneaking uppercuts, which silenced the huge partisan crowd inside the jam-packed Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Then came a sudden turn of events. Kyowa, showing the true heart of a champion, slowly but surely turned the tide in his favor, connecting with his patented overhand right with increased accuracy, doing efficient damage on the obviously gassed out challenger, to the delight of the hometown fans.
EXPERIENCE WAS THE BIG DIFFERENCE
It might sound ironic, but Kyowa, who had five less registered bouts than Mayol, was the more experienced fighter prior to that classic encounter. If you look closely, Kyowa had already logged a total of 123 career rounds (55 of those in championship bouts), compared to Mayol’s 121 going into that bout, not to mention that the Thai champ had better quality opposition to boast of. Experience spelled the outcome of that thrilling battle. Mayol did not want to take it to the scorecards so he immediately went for the kill, very confident that he’d be able to dispose of Kyowa like he did to his previous victims. He failed in his bid, as the champion gallantly stood his ground and defended his crown. Nothing to be ashamed of for Mayol, as lessons were learned and he lost to arguably the best in his division. Before suffering that solitary loss, he was considered by some, including this writer, as the best-skilled Filipino fighter, Manny Pacquiao included. “Magnum Force” will definitely be a much better all-around boxer-puncher after that painful learning experience!
“BOOMBOOM” COMES IN CLOSE SECOND!
Rey “Boomboom” Bautista (20-0-0, 15 KOs), the twenty-year-old wonder out of the formidable ALA boxing stable, is another must-see Pinoy boxing prospect from the beautiful province of Bohol, one of the country’s top tourist destinations. Bautista now fights under the flagship of Golden Boy Promotions, which has inked a partnership deal with ALA gym. He is currently ranked by the World Boxing Organization as the number one challenger of the 122 lb. division, a spot he also enjoyed while still a bantamweight.
A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
This lofty standing might lead many to wonder why “Boom Boom” hasn’t fought for a world title yet. He was set to tangle with ring veteran Alejandro Felix Montiel (51-8-0, 30 KOs) for the main supporting bout of the Pacquiao-Oscar Larios tussle in Manila last July, only to be replaced a week earlier due to viral influenza. Lighting struck twice, as Bautista sustained a hairline fracture in his right clavicle during training, foiling yet another chance to strut his stuff in a highly anticipated pay-per-view event on the fight card of the Marco Antonio Barrera-Rocky Juarez rematch, which took place early this month. These two successive fights would have served as precursors to a much-awaited opportunity to challenge for the world title.
DON’T FRET, AS THEY’LL BE BACK!
Bautista and Mayol both experienced setbacks, although in diverse fashions. On a positive note, Mayol recently won via first-round KO in his return bout, while Bautista is now back to rigid training at ALA gym in Cebu. Regardless of the fact that such inopportune events significantly stall their journey towards glory, it can never be denied that greatness lies in the horizon for these two budding champions.
This article is the second of three installments. Watch out for the final episode some time next week.
posted by Reylan | 1:40 PM
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