MARK “Magnifico” Magsayo aims to join the ranks of Filipino world boxing champions when he challenges “slightly injured” Gary Russell Jr. for the American’s World Boxing Council featherweight crown on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) at the Borgata Hotel Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The unbeaten top-ranked Filipino contender, who is handled by MP Promotions of Sen. Manny Pacquiao, is viewed as an heir apparent to the retired ring icon and is being trained by Pacquaio’s former American coach Freddie Roach.
But the Tagbilaran, Bohol pride, who has chalked up 23 straight wins, spiked by 16 knockouts, is keen on carving his own path to ring stardom and refuses to be compared to his illustrious compatriot and former eight-division world champion.
“I have a lot of pressure in my career right now,” Magsayo said in an interview on the Premier Boxing Champions website. “A lot of people are speaking of the next Manny Pacquiao. I tell them, ‘There is no next Manny Pacquiao. There’s only one Manny Pacquiao.
“I’m going to do my best to make a big name in the sport, do everything in the gym, work hard so my dream of becoming a world champion comes true. I am ready to make my own name, my own history in boxing.”
But there are striking similarities between Pacquiao and Magsayo, 26, who also grew up in poverty and once sold ice cream to help his family make ends meet. Like his idol, he was exposed to the sweet science at the tender age of eight at a local gym, which became his second home.
Magsayo remembers Pacquiao, then fighting in the featherweight division, knocking out Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera in the 11th round of their action-packed non-title match at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas in 2003, and has looked up to Pacquiao ever since.
“I remember thinking, ‘I want to be like him (Pacquiao). He’s been my hero since I was a kid,” Magsayo recalled.
To reach anywhere near his boyhood hero’s level, he must hurdle Russell, 32, who has a record of 31 wins (18 KOs) against one loss but has not fought in over two years although he is on a seven-match winning streak.
The American champ’s last victory was a convincing unanimous decision win over Mongolian Tugstsogt Nyambayar on Sept. 8, 2020 at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Keith Idec of boxingcene.com wrote in a story posted on the website yesterday that Russel had suffered a “little slight injury” but did not divulge what it was in an interview on the “The DAZN Boxing Show.”
“I never go into any of my fights 100 percent, to be honest with you,” Russell said. “I do have a little slight injury, but I prefer not to elaborate on it until after the fight. We’re going to get through this fight, we’re still going to make things shake and then we’ll go ahead and put it out there after it’s all said and done.”
