Maca not rushing title shot

Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) bantamweight champion Jess Maca is a rare specie. Unlike other similarly situated contenders, he’s not itching for a world title shot. Maca’s content earning from $20,000 to $25,000 in defending his OPBF crown.

It’s not about lack of ambition. It’s certainly not about greed. Maca’s just being realistic. As OPBF champion, he’s worth his weight in greenbacks. If he fights for a world crown, Maca will be required to relinquish his OPBF title and throw away a steady source of income. As a world title challenger, Maca will be lucky to pull in $10,000. Of course, there’s the prospect of earning bigger bucks as world titlist — something that Maca says he’ll eventually shoot for, when the time is right.

Life can’t be bad for Maca in Bohol where he lives with his wife Lilibeth and their three children, Jaylord, 6, Jay-R, 4, and Jay-Ann, 3. He’s the World Boxing Council (WBC) No. 3 contender — the highest-rated Filipino fighter outside of No. 1 superflyweight Gerry Peñalosa – and he’s held the OPBF title since May 1998. Because of his lofty rating, Maca is always in demand for big-money fights and his bank account is growing.

Maca celebrated his 29th birthday yesterday. His birthday wish is to enjoy a long boxing career. So far, so good. Maca turned pro in 1990 and looks fit to fight another 10 years.

Maca‘s problem is he’s running out of opposition in Asia. Up-and-coming fighters avoid him like the plague. Maca’s too slick, too smart, and too tough to be a useful stepping stone. Make no mistake about it, he’s championship material.

Last Dec. 11, Maca pounded out a unanimous 12-round decision over Katsushige Kawashima in Tokyo to retain his OPBF title. It was a masterful display of ring wizardry. Kawashima, known for his raw power, looked like a novice as Maca taught him a next boxing lesson.

Referee and judge Masakazu Uchida saw it 116-114. Tokyo-based Thai Ukrid Sarasas, who is married to a Japanese, scored it 118-113 and Filipino Vincent Rodriguez, 118-110, all for Maca.

Rodriguez said Japanese fans expected Kawashima to overpower Maca. "Before the fight, Kawashima was introduced in a grand entrance — with a spotlight, blaring music, and a cheering squad," related Rodriguez. "The posters for the fight showed Kawashima alone — Maca was ignored. When Maca was introduced, nobody seemed to care — there was no spotlight for him. Kawashima was bigger and taller but Maca knew how to fight him."

Behind a piston-like jab, Maca turned Kawashima into a human punching bag and didn’t leave an opportunity for the Japanese to grab the title on a hometown robbery because the fight was so one-sided. Kawashima had lost only once before facing Maca and boasted 12 knockouts in 17 wins.

Maca was accompanied in Tokyo by manager Flory Rontal, business manager Gabriel (Bebot) Elorde, Jr., and trainer Tony Jumao-as.

Maca’s record is 39-16-5, with 16 knockouts — not too glamorous but he hasn’t lost in three years and his last 11 fights. The iron-chinned Maca has never been floored or stopped — twice, he went the distance with Thailand’s fearsome KO artist Samson Dutch Boy-Gym. What’s remarkable is in Maca’s last seven fights in Japan, he won on points over Japanese fighters — something unheard of from a Filipino who’s usually a victim of a hometown decision.

Sooner or later, Maca will move up to the No. 1 spot — as long as he keeps winning. When that happens, he’ll be in line for a mandatory shot at the WBC crown held by Veerapol Nakonluang-Promotion of Thailand. Curiously, Veerapol was the last fighter to beat Maca — on points in Bangkok in 1997.

Maca is Philippine boxing’s best-kept secret. But it won’t be long before word gets out that Maca’s ready to take over the world.