New-look Magsayo braces for battle

The change in scenery is only going to make Mark Magsayo an even better fighter, the Filipino fighter’s promoter said yesterday.

Magsayo used to be trained by Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Boxing Club but the elevation of Marvin Somodio to the role of chief strategist has been seen as a gamechanger.

“They relate more. They’re Filipino. They speak the same dialect. And he just felt like he needed a change,” MP Promotions president Sean Gibbons said in an online press conference.

“He needed a new gym. He just needed to try something new,” added Gibbons, stressing that Magsayo and Roach didn’t have any issues about the separation.

“Sometimes you want to try something new, left Marvin lead, be the lead trainer. And we’re gonna see the results, I think.”

Magsayo has entered the most crucial stage of his buildup for the 4 March clash with the power-punching Brandon Figueroa that will have the interim World Boxing Council featherweight title on the line.

“I like Marvin’s technique of training… Marvin is a great trainer,” Magsayo said, adding that he puts premium on the experience he gained while with Roach.

Somodio used to be Roach’s right-hand man at the Wild Card and even played a key role in some of Manny Pacquiao’s last few fights as member of the eight-division champion’s training team.

Magsayo, who totes a 24-1-0 record with 16 knockouts, briefly held the WBC 126-lb crown and is aching to get it back. Figueroa, a native of Texas, parades a 23-1-1 card with 18 knockouts. Their scheduled 12-rounder takes place at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California.