Of course, there’s nothing Matsuoka should be sorry for. He and his Filipina wife Gina Orlais were gracious hosts and their visitors couldn’t thank them more.
Matsuoka’s consolation is with Mayol’s defeat, it will now be easier to sign up opponents for the 24-year-old fighter.
Mayol waited over two years for his first world title shot because no champion dared to face him. Before battling Kyowa, Mayol’s record was an unblemished 22-0, with 17 KOs.
A fight that may be a possibility in the near future is a duel with popular World Boxing Organization minimumweight titleholder Ivan Calderon of Puerto Rico.
"It’s not the end of the world for Mayol," said Joey Fornier of Team Asia, the group that acquired the TV rights for the bout. "He’ll learn from his mistakes and bounce back a much better fighter."
In case Mayol has forgotten, Flash Elorde lost to featherweight champion Sandy Saddler in his first attempt to win a world crown and went on to capture the world junior lightweight championship which he held for over seven years.
Mayol could have underestimated Kyowa’s staying power. He probably didn’t realize the Thai fighter, married to a Japanese kickboxer with two sons, was extremely durable. It was apparent that Mayol’s fight strategy was not well thought out.
Mayol’s former manager Terry Carter, another ringside witness, said he anticipated the meltdown. "I don’t think Rodel prepared as he should’ve but he’s not to blame," said Carter. "His trainer (Brix Flores) took a vacation in Bohol during the Easter holidays and left Rodel to train by himself. Rodel worked out on his own in Wakee’s stable and sometimes in Tony Aldeguer’s gym in Cebu. That kind of unsupervised training won’t do against a tough guy like Kyowa even if you’re supposed to be a disciplined fighter."
Another drawback was with Flores and Japanese trainer Toshimi Miura in his corner, Mayol could’ve gotten mixed signals. There should be only one leader in a fighter’s corner. A soldier who listens to two captains will end up confused.
Mayol has the potential to become a world champion but he needs an experienced teacher who can guide him to the throne. Freddie Roach comes to mind. At the Wild Card Gym, Mayol could be transformed into an invincible fighting machine. He could campaign in the US instead of Japan. But the problem is in the 105-pound division, the purses may be bigger in Japan (when the opponent is Japanese) than in the US against a Mexican or a Puerto Rican.
Lira, 21, is a University of the Philippines-Cebu scholar and management student. She initially thought of taking up medicine but abandoned plans after giving birth to a son, Eizre Bryce, two years ago.
Mayol used to train with Lira’s older sister Nesiree, a marathoner, at the ALA gym. He met Lira through her sister. It was Lira’s first overseas trip and only Mayol’s second fight she watched at ringside. The first was when Mayol decisioned Nino Suelo in a Philippine minimumweight title bout in Mandaue four years ago.
Matsuoka met Gina when she worked in Tokyo in 1987 and they’ve been together now for 17 years. Their children are Aivie, 11, and Aileen, 5. Aivie speaks Pilipino, Cebuano, English and Japanese fluently.
Matsuoka operates a company that has the Tokyo franchise to distribute and sell advertising space in the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun.