Sonsona ready for title bout

By Joaquin Henson

MANILA, Philippines - “Marvelous” Marvin Sonsona leaves Manila tomorrow to keep his appointment with WBO superflyweight champion Jose (Carita) Lopez of Puerto Rico at Casino Rama, Ontario, Canada, on Sept. 4 and vowed yesterday to become the country’s youngest world titlist ever.

Sonsona, 19, was issued a Canadian visa last Friday and is scheduled to board a Korean Airlines flight to Toronto via Seoul on the way to Ontario. The trip was postponed twice because of the delay in obtaining the visa. But promoter Sammy Gello-ani has assured his departure with trainers Nonito (Dodong) Donaire Sr. and Jun Agrabio and manager Dr. Rajan Yraola.

“We had to rebook his ticket twice,” said Gello-ani who arranged the title shot with Las Vegas matchmaker Sampson Lewkowicz. “We were prepared to fly Marvin and Dodong, who both have US visas, to Los Angeles earlier in case we couldn’t confirm the Tuesday flight. But it now looks final. There will be enough time for Marvin to acclimatize before the fight.”

Sonsona weighed 125 pounds after sparring 12 rounds last Friday. Gello-ani said trimming down to the superflyweight limit of 115 in two weeks is “manageable.”

Dr. Yraola said he is not worried about Sonsona’s weight. Neither is Donaire who was contracted to prepare Sonsona for Lopez a month ago. Donaire’s son Nonito Jr. fights in the same division and was recently crowned interim WBA superflyweight champion.

“Dodong is impressed with Marvin,” said Gello-ani. “He called him an exceptional fighter who has all the tools and learns very quickly. At first, Dodong wasn’t sure how Marvin would do against Lopez. Now, he’s confident Marvin can win. He has prepared Marvin to go 12 rounds if necessary. That’s why Dodong wanted Marvin to train in the big ring at the Elorde Gym in Gilmore. Dodong worked on his footspeed and mobility.”

Gello-ani said in all his years of involvement in professional boxing, he has rarely come across an outstanding talent like Sonsona. “He’s different from the rest,” said Gello-ani. “He’s a thinking fighter. He learned a lot from Dodong who is a master of breaking down an opponent’s offense and defense. He absorbed everything he could from Dodong. Now, he’s ready for Lopez.”

Sonsona sparred over 150 rounds with the likes of Rey Megrino, Mulawin Alino, his cousin Eden and Jose Ocampo and will only do light training when he hits Ontario.

In training for Lopez, Sonsona worked out six days a week, running at 6 a.m. in UP Diliman and reporting at 1 p.m. in Dr. Yraola’s gym on Mindanao Avenue or the Elorde facility.

If he dethrones Lopez, Sonsona will become the youngest Filipino world champion ever, gaining the distinction over Ben Villaflor and Manny Pacquiao who were also 19 when they won their first titles but a few months older.

Sonsona is the oldest of three children born to his parents Ben and Iluminada. His brother Jeven is 18 and Karen, 17. He has two half-sisters on his mother’s side and a half-brother and half-sister on his father’s side.

“Marvin’s skill, power and speed can match up with Lopez’ ability,” said Dr. Yraola. “The weigh-in will be on the morning of the fight. That’s our advantage because of Marvin’s youth. It will be easier for him to rehydrate than an older fighter like Lopez.”

Dr. Yraola said Donaire’s plan is for Sonsona to size up Lopez in the early rounds. “If Marvin feels that he can take him out early, he’ll go for it but if it happens that he can’t knock him out in the first three rounds, he’ll just box and wear him down. We noticed that Lopez is somewhat slower than Marvin and can be caught with a counter punch. I think we need to put Lopez down to make sure of the victory.”

Sonsona has never gone beyond five rounds in his career that started only two years ago. His record is 13-0, with 12 KOs. He was only one year old when Lopez turned pro in 1991. Lopez, 37, has a record of 39-7-2, with 32 KOs. The Puerto Rican has not lost in his last 16 outings. Mexico’s Fernando Montiel dealt Lopez his last defeat in 2001.