By Rey Anthony Chiu
Magsayo wins ‘WBC Asia belt’
pummeling Thai in Bohol bout
TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, August 30 (PIA)—Homegrown champion boxer Mark Magnifico Magsayo pummeled Thai veteran Panya Uthok to earn a unanimous 12 round decision to gain the World Boxing Council (WBC) Asia Pacific Featherweight Championship belt in textbook fashion before a crowd of Boholano supporters at the Bohol Wisdom School Gymnasium, August 31, 2019.
An Indonesian fighter who moved up in weight had the title vacant, one which Uthok aimed to get to start off another journeyman’s ascent to boxing greatness.
With the win, Magsayo has avenged Boholanos: Carlo Autentico Magali and AJ Bazooka Banal who suffered losses in the hands of Uthok.
Magali, a native of Talibon lost to Uthok in a unanimous decision last April in a fight in Thailand.
Banal also lost to Uthok by technical knock-out in a fight at the SM Mall of Asia in Manila in October of 2012.
For Uthok, the loss has unfortunately slid him back to what he hoped would be the start of another winning streak after started a four fight losing streak before winning over magali.
With the victory, Magsayo now keeps a clean unbeaten record of 20 wins, no losses no draws, 13 of these victories by knock-out.
Facing Uthok, a former Muay Thai practitioner before becoming a boxer, Magsayo, whom boxing pundits would say “rusted,” due to over a year of no fights, came to the ring in his perfect methodical fighting stance, a textbook approach to a veteran knock-out artist and fighter who now keeps a 53 wins, 35 of them by knockouts, and 7 losses slate.
Magsayo, 24 however keeps an age and weight advantage over Uthok, who came to Bohol promising he would embarrass the Boholano before the home crowd, gathered for the seven-bout offer of Vladimir Promotions.
“Mark, I am ready for you. I will knock you out in front of your hometown,” Uthok warned in the fight’s promotional video, played over local cables.
Clearly fighting a ring veteran who is 29 years, Magsayo can only shake and dazzle the former world title holder from Thailand, the 17 month lay-off after his contract with ALA Boxing Promotions clearly a big factor in his being a bit squeaky.
Making use of his effective probing piston-like mechanical jabs to the face of Uthok, Magsayo kept the Thai knock-out artist on the far end of his jabs.
Possibly attempting to please a home crowd wanting to see blood or a body sprawled on the canvas, Magsayo stepped up his campaign in the succeeding rounds, ending a flurry of speedy punches, some reaching as many as 14.
Uthok, who could be one of the most amiable foreign boxers Boholanos have ever seen, could only wait it out until the end of the barrage of short left and right hooks and only countering after Magsayo would have stopped for a breather.
Totally out-punched and out-maneuvered by Magsayo’s smart use of the ring and his crisp jabs had Uthok’s face fluffy that a bleeder boxer not of Uthok’s caliber would have ended with a pulpy face.
Methodical and cautious not to step into an Uthok trap, Magsayo kept himself busy taking sniper jabs that has the Thai boxer’s head snapping back countless of times.
Bt the Thai, so used to survive head strikes in the Muay Thai discipline, only smiles every time Magsayo pins him with a fusillade of hailstorm punches.
Magsayo’s dreaded haymakers and cracking short jabs however could not put the old man off from fighting, even as this evidently heaped the points on the Boholano.
By the end of the seventh round, Magsayo's flurry of punches had Uthok visibly shaken but the muay thai fighter-boxer demanded for more.
Both fighters stalked and staked each chance, each clearly pleased with each other’s handiwork.
Uthok aimed for the Boholano’s body and head, but Magsayo’s efficient lateral movement and longer reach allowed him to hit Uthok four to five times before the Thai could make one punch.
Magsayo, who last April floored in the fourth round Indonesian Eric the Destroyer, appeared to have shaken off the rust too as his precise and surgical hooks and uppercuts chipped the sturdy Thai.
After the last bell of the 12 rounds, two judges scored a lopsided 118-110 while another judge came up with a 120-108 unanimous win for the Boholano.
Although the victory was a minor title, this assured the Boholano a leap frog from his 10th rank in the world after his 17 months lay-off, to a higher position. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
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