MAASIN CITY — For ALA Promotions International CEO Michael Aldeguer, it’s such a waste that Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo decided to leave and transfer to another team.
“There were big plans for Mark. But I don’t know, he has his own direction,” Alderguer said in an interview after Pinoy Pride 44: Laban Sa Leyte at the Maasin City Gym last Saturday.
The 22-year-old unbeaten Boholano boxer Magsayo recently announced that he is leaving ALA Promotions International for a new manager in Malaysia-based Vikram Sivapragasam and new promoter in Las Vegas-based Now Boxing Promotions of Joe Dunkin.
Aldeguer and ALA Promotions International disputed this, though, saying Magsayo still has an existing live managerial contract with them that has not expired.
This prompted them to consider taking a legal actions if Magsayo’s new team won’t grant the contract or talk to them.
While leaving the contract issue to ALA’s lawyers, Aldeguer took a look back at the boxer’s promising career and revealed they had big plans for Magsayo.
He said the plan was to build him up to become the next marquee boxer of ALA Promotions International.
“2017. That was the year that we talked to him for a possible world-title bout. The build up for him. We had some talks with Top Rank, with Bob Arum. I talked about the plans for him,” Aldeguer said.
Aldeguer recalled that Magsayo had two main event fights last year. The first one was on July 8 at the IEC Convention Center versus Daniel Diaz of Nicaragua, where he won via a first round technical knockout. His last fight under ALA Promotions was at his hometown in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, where he fought Japanese Shota Hayashi and defended his WBO international featherweight title.
“All I can say is that if you see 2017, that was the first year where Magsayo had two main event fights in Pinoy Pride. We gave him his chance to shine and we gave him his dream to fight in Tagbilaran. I still remember when he told us when he was still a nine-year old kid when he watched Boom-boom Bautista fought there and that pushed him to become a boxer. He said that it was his dream and it happened. Everything was good but I can’t say much. In ALA we wouldn’t have done to build him up if there was no contract and we’ve always believed in agreement and loyalty. But of course Mark, we have to respect him,” said Aldeguer.
Putting that behind him now, Aldeguer said he won’t comment further and leave the issue to the team’s lawyers.