MANILA – A Filipino teenager on Saturday became the latest toast of the boxing world when he wrested the World Boxing Organization (WBO) super flyweight crown from the reigning Puerto Rican champion in Ontario, Canada.
Marvin “Marvelous†Sonsona became the champion via a unanimous decision during his slam-bang 12-round title bout with the title-holder Jose Lopez of Puerto Rico.
The championship fight, carried via a delayed telecast and witnessed by millions of his countrymen, was held at the Ram Hotel in Ontario, Canada Friday night (Saturday morning, Manila time)
Only 19, the 5-foot 7 Sonsona who carried a record of 13 wins without a loss and 12 knockouts, became the second youngest Filipino world champion after former light welterweight king Morris East who won the World Boxing Association (WBA) crown at 19 years old and one month.
Sonsona, who was named by his father after the great American champion Marvin “Marvelous†Hagler, turned 19 last July.
By winning the crown, Sonsona joined the current list of Filipino world boxing greats, headed by Manny “Pacman†Pacquiao, acknowledged as the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter today.
Like Pacquiao, Sonsona hails from General Santos City, known as the “tuna capital of the Philippines, in Mindanao.
The other Filipino champions are Brian Viloria who defeated Mexican Jesus Iribe and retained his International Boxing Federation (IBF) light-flyweight crown in Hawaii just last week and WBA champion Nonito Donaire.
Donaire, who is confined in a Metro Manila hospital after a bout with the dreaded mosquito-borne disease dengue, knocked down Rafael Concepcion of Panama during their fight in Las Vegas, Nevada in late July.
In his title bout, meanwhile, Sonsona was the decided underdog as he went up against Lopez, who despite his age at 37, carried a record of 39 fights, seven defeats and two draws, with 32 knockouts.
The odds also went against Sonsona because in his 13 fights, he did not go beyond five rounds while his championship fight against Lopez was a 12-rounder.
But Sonsona showed he was not to be taken for granted when he battled toe-to-toe with Lopez in the first six rounds of the title fight.
Highlighting the bout was Sonsona’s knockdown of Lopez at the fourth round as he pummeled his Panamanian rival with a series of lefts and rights.
Lopez also had a point deducted from him by the referee for low blows which he inflicted on Sonsona as they traded blows in the center of the ring in the sixth round.
As the bout progressed, many expected Sonsona to tire because of the grueling pace that he and Lopez waged.
But as it turned out, the young Filipino boxer prevailed and gained the nod of the three ringside judges as he shifted strategy and outboxed Lopez in the later rounds.
A teary-eyed Sonsona accepted the WBO championship belt as he dedicated his victory to the Filipino people.
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