Sonsona's wish: Good life for family

MANILA, Philippines - After winning the world title, the next thing Marvin Sonsona wants is a good life for his family.

Arriving from Canada yesterday, two days after he stunned Puerto Rico’s Jose Lopez for the WBO super-flyweight title, Sonsona made a wish – not for himself but for his family.

“Gusto ko lang makatulong sa pamilya ko (I’d like to help my family),” Sonsona told GMA News just moments after flying in from Ontario, the site of his breakthrough win.

The 19-year-old Sonsona, described by fight analysts as “the next superstar from the Philippines,” hails from Gen. Santos City, and admitted that he comes from a poor family.

“Kuwan talaga kami eh - walang kapera-pera. Wala. (It’s how we are - with no money. Nothing),” he said at the airport where less than a dozen supporters came to see him.

His parents were there to welcome him, too, plus a few other relatives and friends. And all they had was a tiny yellow placard that said, “Welcome the new WBO champion.”

Yet, it was clear that Sonsona, now a few thousand dollars richer, was so happy to see them.

“Gusto ko ng magandaNG buhay para sa kanila (I want a good life for them),” said the young world champion, who wore a purple shirt, dark pants, rubber shoes and a baseball cap.

Signs of his action-packed 12-round battle with Lopez were a swollen left hand and a bandage over his right eye.

At 19, he is the youngest among the five world champions from the Philippines today – the others being minimumweight Donnie Nietes, light-flyweight Brian Viloria, super-flyweight Nonito Donaire and light-welterweight Manny Pacquiao.

Sonsona, who’s related to former RP bantamweight champion Eden Sonsona, happens to be the only undefeated champion (14 wins with 12 knockouts) from the Philippines.

Sonsona is also a southpaw, and this early, his left hand is something his opponents should be wary of. He decked Lopez in the fourth round with a big shot almost to the top of the head.

Lopez, who was defending his title for the first time, fell like he got hit with a flurry of powerful punches.

Later on, the grizzled, 37-year-old veteran (39-8-2) said he felt the sting of that punch the rest of the fight.

“He surprised me that he hit so hard, especially the power of his left hand. I didn’t expect that. I felt that blow for the remainder of the fight,” Lopez told boxingscene.com.