Magsayo ‘truly’ Magnifico

CARSON, California — Living up to his ring name ‘Magnifico,’ rising ALA Stable star Mark Magsayo delivered a magnificent performance en route to a smashing first-round knockout of the previously unbeaten Mexican champion Yardly Suarez to retain his IBF Youth featherweight crown.

In a superb show of fistic talent and brute force, Magsayo pummeled Suarez with an assortment of telling blows on all angles right after the opening bell.

A punishing one-two combo to the head sent the hapless Mexican down at the seat of his pants for the first time with just a little over a minute gone by in the opening session.

Smelling blood, Magsayo did not waste a single second in launching another wave of brutal shots to the head that sent Suarez wobbling before hitting the canvass for the second time, visibly groggy and glassy-eyed.

With the Mexican down and out, referee Raul Caiz Jr., wisely intervened to halt the carnage at the two-minute mark of the very first round. It was Suarez's first taste of defeat after a rousing 13-0 start dotted with  8KOs.

“He (Magsayo) was very impressive. He really amazed me with his performance. I did not expect the fight to end that way knowing the caliber of his Mexican opponent. Magsayo was just simply fantastic,” said four-division world champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr. who watched the fight at the ringside.

Aside from stretching his undefeated record to 12-0 now laced with 10KOs, Magsayo likewise galvanized his status as the next big thing from Cebu’s fabled ALA Boxing Gym. — EBV (FREEMAN)