COMPLETE CAST. The main protagonists of Pinoy Pride 43: Battle in Bohol (from left) Jeo “Santino” Santisima, “Prince” Albert Pagara, Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo, ALA Promotions CEO Michael Aldeguer, Shota Hayashi of Nagoya Japan, Kichang “The Lion from Borneo” Kim and Mohammed “Chico” Kambuluta of Dar Es Salaam Tanzania pose after their press conference.
(CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
Tagbilaran City — Hard hitting Japanese slugger Shota Hayashi is looking for a grand birthday celebration today even if it means doing so in enemy territory.
The Japanese slugger turns 30 today and he wants no less than Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo’s WBO international featherweight belt to go with his birthday cake. The two will tangle tomorrow night in the main event of “Pinoy Pride 43: Battle In Bohol” at the Bohol Wisdom Gymnasium, here.
“I want to fight big names and I am very thankful that they have given me an opportunity to fight a boxer like Mark Magsayo who for me is a great and young boxer,” said Hayashi via a translator in yesterday’s final press conference at the Bohol Tropics Resort.
The Japanese featherweight champ has 30 wins with 18 knockouts, six defeats and a draw while the 22 year-old Magsayo, of Tagbilaran City, sports an unbeaten record of 17 wins with 13 knockouts.
Hayashi brought in quite a number of Japanese supporters including two-division world champion Kosei Tanaka. “I come here to fight and do my best to win the title,” added Hayashi. “If I lose the fight, maybe I will consider retiring. This is a very important fight for me because I want to become a world champion also.”
“We are confident that we can win by a knockout but if the fight goes the distance, we are ready for 12 rounds,” said Hiyoshi Hatanaka, Hayashi’s trainer.
Nears world title shot
For WBO Asia Pacific supervisor Leon Panoncillo, Magsayo must win this fight to earn a world title eliminator.
Magsayo is currently ranked No. 2 but just recently, lower ranked Genesis Servania, a former ALA Boxing Gym stalwart was able to fight WBO world featherweight champion Oscar Valdez in the US, in what many believe as a Fight of the Year candidate.
“In this situation, Magsayo must win this fight for his promoters to negotiate with number one contender Joseph Diaz Jr., for a title eliminator and I would be interested to supervise that fight if it happens. But Magsayo has to win against Hayashi first which for me is a great fight,” said Panoncillo.
Magsayo meanwhile, said he doesn’t feel any pressure fighting in his hometown with so much at stake. “I will do my best in front of my fellow Boholanos. I don’t feel any pressure in this fight, I remain calm and focused,” said Magsayo.
Michael P. Aldeguer, the CEO of ALA Promotions International still remembers meeting a nine-year old Magsayo for the first time in 2005 when Rey “Boom-boom” Bautista fought in Bohol. He said his father, ALA Boxing Gym founder Antonio L. Aldeguer introduced him to Magsayo.
“Twelve years ago, there was this kid who was introduced to me by my father telling me that the kid has a lot of potential to become a champion. Now he is getting there.”
Aldeguer added that he is open to holding a world title eliminator bout if Magsayo beats Hayashi possibly against Diaz Jr.
Also present during yesterday’s presser were the undercard protagonists, “Prince” Albert Pagara (29-1-0, 19KOs) and Jeo “Santino”Santisima (14-2-0, 13KOs) who will fight Tanzanian Mohammed Kambaluta (17-3-0, 6KOs) and Indonesian Kichang “The Lion from Borneo” Kim (8-4-1, 2KOs), respectively.
The official weigh-in will be held today at the Island City Mall at 11 a.m.