MANILA, Philippines — The superfeatherweight or junior lightweight division has been a favorite stomping ground for Filipino fighters. It’s the weight class where Flash Elorde, Rene Barrientos, Ben Villaflor, Rolando Navarrete, Joselito Rivera and Manny Pacquiao reigned as world champions. Today, two Filipinos are in contention to join the elite corps in the 130-pound ranks.
Charly Suarez, 36, and Mark Magsayo, 29, are in the running for title shots among the four major governing bodies. Suarez is rated No. 1 by WBO, No. 4 by IBF and No. 15 by WBC while Magsayo is ranked No. 3 by WBC and WBO, No. 4 by WBA and No. 5 by IBF. The current belt-holders are WBC’s O’Shaquile Foster, WBA’s Lamont Roach, IBF’s Anthony Cacace and WBO’s Emanuel Navarrete. Both Suarez and Magsayo couldn’t care less whom they face. They’re ready to go for broke. Suarez boasts an unblemished 18-0 record, with 10 KOs and his last five outings were held abroad, one in Vietnam, one in Australia and the last three in the US. He’s in line to battle Navarrete as the mandatory challenger.
Navarrete, 29, is fresh from demolishing Oscar Valdez on a sixth round knockout in Phoenix last Saturday and will likely be ready for another defense within the first quarter of next year. The Mexican’s record is 38-2-1, with 31 KOs. One of his opponents was Mig Elorde who was stopped in the fourth round in a bid for the WBO superbantamweight crown in Las Vegas in 2019. His other Filipino knockout victims were Jeo Santisima, Glenn Porras and Jhon Gemino.
Magsayo is a former WBC featherweight titlist and could be ranged against Foster whose record is 23-3, with 12 KOs compared to Magnifico’s 26-2, with 17 KOs. Foster, 31, is coming off a win by a split 12-round decision over Robinson Conceicao to regain the WBC throne he previously yielded to the Brazilian. He holds a win over Rey Vargas who dethroned Magsayo on a split verdict as WBC featherweight ruler in San Antonio, Texas, in 2022.
Magsayo will take on Ecuador’s Bryan Mercado in an eight-rounder in Long Beach tomorrow. His coach Marvin Somodio said Foster could be next after Mercado. “Sa tingin ko, magandang kalaban si Foster at sa WBC mataas ang kaniyang rank,” he noted. “Maganda ang kundisyon ni Mark. Everyday, siya nag-training after ng last fight. Mas matured at relax si Mark lumaban at ‘di tulad dati na gigil. Mas na set-up niya yung combinations at power punches. Mas malakas siya ngayon sa 130 pounds kasi ‘di na siya masyadong hirap sa timbang. Si Mercado, stay busy na laban para ‘di sayang ang training.”
Somodio said he witnessed Navarrete’s win over Valdez. “Nandoon ako sa laban at undercard yung boxer ko si Steven Navarro,” he continued. “Lakas ni Navarrete. Kaya ni Charly basta 100 percent kundisyon kasi may skill at power siya.” It’s a race between Suarez and Magsayo as to who locks in a title shot ahead.