Sonsona predicts KO in Ontario

MANILA, Philippines - It won’t be a long night for Mexican challenger Alejandro (Payasito) Hernandez as WBO superflyweight champion “Marvelous” Marvin Sonsona of General Santos City promised a win by knockout within six rounds in their title fight at the Casino Rama in Ontario, Canada, this morning, Manila time.

There was some concern about the teenage Sonsona’s ability to make the 115-pound limit at the weigh-in set the day of the bout. The 5-7 southpaw scaled six pounds over the cap last Thursday when he motored to Ontario from Toronto with trainer Nonito (Dodong) Donaire Sr. and manager Dr. Rajan Yraola.

But Yraola yesterday downplayed the situation, assuring that Sonsona will make the limit.

Yraola, however, admitted Sonsona is finding it more and more difficult to stay in the superflyweight division.

“He’s getting bigger (and) that’s why we need to plan ahead,” said Yraola. “We plan for Marvin to move from one division to another like Manny Pacquiao. We are anticipating that management has already plans for Marvin’s next three fights after the defense against Hernandez.”

Yraola earlier mentioned that Orion Sports Management president Allan Tremblay had offered Sonsona a six-fight contract for two years to be a mainstay at the Casino Rama.

Although plans are being laid out for Sonsona’s future, the fighter isn’t looking beyond the 23-year-old Hernandez.

“Marvin trained very hard for Hernandez and had tough sparring,” said Yraola. “He sparred in Cebu with a superbantamweight, a featherweight and a lightweight from Dodong’s stable. Marvin is 100 percent ready. The only thing is he needs to adapt to the weather but so far, he’s adjusting very well especially when he’s jogging.”

Yraola said Sonsona worked on improving his right jab, his footwork and defense in training camp. “We worked on what Marvin lacked in his last fight against (Jose) Lopez,” he added. “He tightened up his defense.”

Sonsona said he expects Hernandez to put up a tough stand.

“Hernandez is a typical Mexican fighter,” the 19-year-old titlist noted. “I’ll pressure him from the first to the fourth rounds to make him feel my power then I’ll take him out in the fifth or sixth.”

Yraola said Sonsona’s power will be a telling factor in the fight.

“The big difference is Marvin is very strong and hits really hard,” said the 30-year-old dentist. “That’s why we’re very confident that Marvin is going to win by an early knockout.”

Yraola said despite his youth, Sonsona is surprisingly mature for his age.

“For sure, Marvin’s enjoying being a world champion,” he went on. “But he’s still a kid. He’s always joking around especially when he’s with kids. In the gym, it sometimes looks like he’s playing but in a serious way. We know what Marvin has to do to beat Hernandez. Dodong just wants to keep things loose, not to burn him out because he just fought a few months ago.”

Jun Agrabio, who has trained Sonsona since he turned pro, will not be in the fighter’s corner for his first title defense. A week before he was scheduled to leave with Sonsona for Canada, Agrabio fell ill with acute pneumonia and tonsillitis. Working Sonsona’s corner will be Donaire as chief trainer, Yraola as cutman and Arvin Jugarat as assistant.

In the undercard, unbeaten superbantamweight Ciso Morales of Cagayan de Oro takes on Mexico’s Miguel Angel Gonzalez Piedras in an eight-rounder. Morales, 21, has a 13-0 record, with eight KOs, compared to Gonzalez Piedras’ 10-1, with four KOs.

In another world title fight involving a Filipino in Chiapas, Mexico, this morning (Manila time), challenger Rodel Mayol faces WBC lightflyweight champion Edgar Sosa. It is Mayol’s fifth attempt to win a world crown after losing to Eagle Kyowa in a WBC minimumweight title fight in Tokyo in 2006, bowing to Ulises Solis by knockout in an IBF lightflyweight championship bout in 2007, drawing with WBO lightflyweight titleholder Ivan Calderon last June and conceding a split technical decision to Calderon in a rematch last September.