Magsayo outplayed in title defense, says analyst

Filipino boxer Mark Magsayo lost the WBC featherweight title to Mexican Ray Vargas in their title fight on Sunday (Manila time) in San Antonio, Texas. (Alvin S. Go)

Erstwhile undefeated Filipino fighter Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo made his first title defense of the World Boxing Council featherweight title on Sunday (Manila time) in San Antonio, Texas, but unfortunately lost to Mexican Rey Vargas by split decision.

Bohol-native Magsayo (24–1) did not have it easy against Vargas throughout but tried hard to swing the fight his way, including sending his opponent to the mat in the ninth round. Things did not go his way though in the end, edged in the scorecards, 112–115, 114–113, 112–115.

For local fight analyst Nissi Icasiano, while Magsayo did put up a fight against Vargas, there was no denying that the latter outplayed the Filipino bet, all told, and that his victory was well deserved.

“Mark Magsayo had a decent first two rounds against Rey Vargas. In those two rounds, he did what he needed to do as the defending champion and in order to offset the reach advantage of the challenger. He pressed the action and bombarded him with heavy artillery,” Icasiano, also sports editor of International Business Times, shared.

“The problem was when Vargas made the adjustment starting from the third round and found the beauty of his range. There’s an old adage that says, ‘the fighter who controls the distance wins the fight.’ The Mexican took it to heart. He used his length efficiently as he caught Magsayo coming in several times. He also made Magsayo miss on several occasions,” he added.

The analyst went on to say that Magsayo, too, fell to some lapses while also showed problems in his conditioning, contributing to his effectivity, or lack thereof, as the fight progressed.

“While it was good that Mark Magsayo forced Rey Vargas to fight on his back foot by staying aggressive, it was apparent that he’s looking for one big shot and forgot to use his jabs,” Icasiano said.

Adding, “Magsayo’s condition was also a concern. He started to fade in the sixth round. It was crucial, especially when he scored the knockdown in the ninth as it seemed he didn’t have enough energy to make a follow-up. The explosiveness was no longer there.”

Following the loss, Magsayo owned up to the defeat and vowed to “come back stronger.”

A local fight analyst said how Magsayo performs in his next fights after the loss will be interesting to see, but underscored that it is imperative that fighter does well. (Premier Boxing Champions Facebook page)

Icasiano said how Magsayo performs in his next fights will be interesting to see, but underscored that it is imperative that he does well.

“Only time will tell as to what kind of impact it would create on the part of Magsayo. We have to see how he performs in his next fight. On the surface, of course, I’ll say it takes off the pressure on his shoulders as a previously unbeaten champion and the last world titleholder in Philippine boxing. But like anyone else, it’s intriguing how he will bounce back from this,” he said.

“He could take an activity fight to regain his confidence or face the winner of the fight between Isaac Dogboe and Joet Gonzalez.”

Magsayo became WBC champion in January this year, seizing the title over American Gary Russell Jr. by majority decision.