Magsayo gets wish, will headline Pinoy Pride in Bohol

IT has always been Mark Magsayo’s dream to headline a huge boxing event at home after seeing Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista fight in Tagbilaran City, when Magsayo was eight years old.

Fourteen years later, and now one of the most promising featherweights in the world, Magsayo gets his wish.

“I’m very excited to be the main event. When I was eight, I saw ‘Boom-Boom’ Bautista fight here. I told myself that I want to fight in front of my fellow Boholanos in a title fight,” said Magsayo.

The 22-year-old budding star from ALA Gym will headline Pinoy Pride 43 in a World Boxing Organization (WBO) International featherweight title defense against Japanese Shota Hayashi on Nov. 25 at the Bohol Wisdom Gym in Tagbilaran City.

Magsayo has fought just once in Tagbilaran City, a small show in the parking lot of Island City Mall three years ago.

“He (Hayashi) is a good fighter. He knows how to box and then comes in and fight. Mark must not take this fight lightly because Japanese fighters are never easy to fight,” said ALA Gym coach Edmund Villamor.

The 29-year-old Hayashi is an experienced fighter with almost 40 fights under his belt.

His biggest win is a unanimous decision victory over former world champion Akifumi Shimoda.

He is coming off a stoppage win over Filipino prospect Marquil Salvana just last month. Magsayo is currently ranked No. 2 in the WBO, just behind No. 1 rate Jojo Diaz.

Hayashi is coming off an easy first-round stoppage over Daniel Diaz in July.

Magsayo is 17-0 with 13 knockouts, while Hayashi is 30-6-1 with 18 knockouts. Albert Pagara (28-1, 19 KOs) and Jeo Santisima (142, 13 KOs) are also seeing action in the main card.

Pagara is up against Tanzanian Mohammed Kambaluta (17-3, 6 KOs), while Santisima slugs it out with Indonesian Kichang Kim in a couple of 10-rounders. Sun.Star Cebu