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By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 03 Sep 2009
Once you take away the hype, the photo-ops, and the press releases, boxing is reduced to its bare essentials: two men stripped to the waist, wearing padded leather gloves, throwing punches sharpened to knock their opponents into submission. It is a fraternity not for the faint hearted. It has maimed bodies and crushed souls. Only a select and fortunate few reach the apex of their chosen profession.
On the morning of September 5, the eyes and expectations of the Philippines will be on a nineteen year old southpaw from Gen. Santos City. It will be a daunting task for Marvin Sonsona. He is fighting overseas for the first time. This will be his first fight in the 115 pound division and he will face an experienced Puerto Rican champion, Jose Lopez, who is eighteen years his senior.
Trainer Nonito Donaire,Sr. expressed confidence that Sonsona can carry his power one division higher. Together with Marvin’s long time trainer Jun Agrabio, they have formulated a strategy that will maximize Sonsona’s physical advantages. They have also worked on his endurance. He has never been past the fifth round.
Last May, Sonsona (13W with 12 KO’s – 0 L) scored the biggest victory of his young career when he knocked out cold two-time WBC interim world titlist Wandee Singwancha of Thailand in two rounds for the vacant WBO Oriental flyweight title. His mental preparation will play a crucial role. The undefeated Sonsona has to enter the ring with the mind set that this is not his coronation. This is a boxing match. Lopez will not let go of his title without a fight. He will try to frustrate Sonsona and dent his psyche.
Sonsona’s cornermen will play a crucial role. They will be the ones thinking about the necessary adjustments and they have to make sure their boxer will listen to the instructions in between rounds. Lopez has never been stopped and they have to anticipate an extended ring battle.
Lopez has faced tough opposition and has lost five previous attempts at winning a world title. In 1996, he lost to Alberto Jimenez of Mexico by 12 round UD for the WBO flyweight belt. He lost his subsequent attempts at the same title against Carlos Gabriel Salazar (L UD 12 1998) and Isidro Garcia (L UD12 1999). In 2001 he also lost to Colombian Mauricio Pastrana by 12 round unanimous decision for the IBA superflyweight belt. Later that same year, he lost to Fernando Montiel by unanimous decision again for the WBO flyweight title.
Lopez' persistence paid off in March of this year when he won the vacant WBO superflyweight title with a 12 round unanimous decision win over Thailand's Pramuansak Posuwan. He will be making his first title defense against Sonsona. Lopez is not ranked among the top ten 115 lb. boxers in the ratings of the Ring magazine website where Z Gorres is ranked number 4 and Nonito Donaire,Jr just entered at number 10. Boxrec.com ranks Lopez at number 7, Gorres at number 8 and Donaire at number 2. Vic Darchinyan remains the top superflyweight in both websites.
The fight card is billed as “Rumble in Rama IX” and will be held at the Casino Rama in Ontario, Canada. The headliner will be Canadian former IBF junior featherweight champ Steve Molitor vs. veteran Dario Azuaga of Paraguay.
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