by ALEX P. VIDAL
LOS ANGELES, California – Of the two Filipino world champions who will fight for World Boxing Organization (WBO) titles seven days apart next month? WBO super flyweight champion Marvin "Marvelous" Sonsona is expected to easily outclass his Mexican challenger in a 12-round duel in Ontario, Canada on Nov. 21.
Manny Pacquiao, Sonsona’s townmate in General Santos City, Mindanao, Philippines, who will tackle WBO welterweight ruler Miguel Angel Cotto, is also penciled to hurdle the 28-year-old Puerto Rican speedster. However, ring experts are not ruling a possible upset win for Cotto when they learned that Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KO’s) started training only in Baguio City, Philippines this October for the 12-round world title fight in Las Vegas, Nevada on Nov. 14.
Cotto (34-1, 27 KO’s) has been reportedly training rigidly since August even before they romped off on a stamina-sapping city-to-city promotional tour in the United States in Sept. as prerequisite under the contract they signed with the Top Rank.
Pacquiao, 30, has been installed as solid pick to trounce the many-time WBO 147-lb king from Caguas, Puerto Rico. He has set his sight on Floyd Mayweather Jr. who recently repulsed a major obstacle, Juan Manuel Marquez, in his possible multi-million showdown with the Filipino best boxer in the world pound-for-pound next year.
YOUNGEST WORLD CHAMP
Sonsona, the youngest Filipino boxer in history to win a world boxing crown at 19, is unbeaten in 14 professional fights with 12 knockouts and no draw. He defended the crown he wrested from another Mexican legend Jose "Carita" Lopez on Sept. 4 on the same venue at the Casino Rama in Ontario against Alejandro "Payasito" Hernandez.
Oddsmakers did not consider the 23-year-old Hernandez (22-7, 11 KO’s) as a serious threat to Sonsona. Hernandez lost his most recent fight on points against Wilbert Vicab for the North American Boxing Federation (NABF) flyweight title in Ciudad Nezahulcoyoti, Mexico on September 11.
Despite the defeat, Hernandez was picked to take a shot at Sonsona’s crown.
While Hernandez lost his first professional outing by split decision to Jeremias Segovia on April 6, 2002 in Tabasco, Mexico, Sonsona, a southpaw like Pacquiao, beat Ricardo Donaire, cousin of IBF flyweight champion Nonito Jr., on points in a four-round scrapper in his first professional fight on July 7, 2007 at the Ynares Plaza Gymnasium in Binangonan, Rizal.
Born in Iztapalapa, Distrito Federal, Mexico, Hernandez’s shining moment came on February 16, 2007 when he captured the WBO Latino flyweight championship with a 12-round decision against Jonathan Perez.
He lost the crown on a 12-round decision to Carlos Tamara on December 7, 2007 also in Mexico.
When he challenged the 38-year-old Lopez for the WBO crown, it was Sonsona’s first trip outside the Philippines.
CEBU
CUSTOMER
Eight of his last nine fights were held in Cebu and among his notable victims were two world class Thai visitors who were badly clobbered and sent to dreamland in violent fashions: Liempech Sor Veerapol who was waylaid in four rounds for the WBO Asia Pacific Youth flyweight title on January 31, 2009 and Wandee Singwancha who was axed in two rounds for the WBO Oriental flyweight belt on May 28, 2009.
The two impressive victories notched for Sonsona an automatic berth at Lopez’s world crown through the help of matchmaker Sampson Lewkowicz, international partner of local fight impresario Sammy Gelo-ani.
Sonsona, regarded as "the next Manny Pacquiao", impressively humbled the veteran Lopez, 114-111, 115-110, 116-109, after scoring a knockdown en route to snatching the WBO super flyweight throne. /MP
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