Magsayo faces another Mexican in second Pacquiao undercard stint

June 22 ------ A young Mexican with a punching prowess will be up next for former world champion Mark Magsayo when he climbs back into the ring in the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Mario Barrios world welterweight title match a month from now. Jorge Mata Cuellar will have the Filipino as the biggest challenge of his career, which has a 21-2-2 record across his name, including 13 by KOs.

The bout with Magsayo is set for 10 rounds at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas Nevada, where the World Boxing Council Continental American super-featherweight title will also be at stake. Cuellar, 24, is on a five-bout winning streak, although he will be fighting outside of Mexico for the first time. He will also be up against a fighter who once reigned as World Boxing Council featherweight champion in Magsayo, who is fighting in a Pacquiao undercard for the second time in his career. ‘It’s a great opportunity to fight for the second time as part of the undercard bouts of my childhood idol Manny Pacquiao. He was the main reason why I took up boxing,” said Magsayo, now based in Los Angeles.

He first fought in a Pacquiao bout in 2021 when the boxing great challenged Cuban Yordenis Ugas for the World Boxing Association welterweight title at the T-Mobile Arena. Magsayo faced Mexican Julio Ceja in a title eliminator bout for the right to challenge then WBC champion Gary Russell Jr. The Filipino won the back-and-forth fight via a 10th round knockout.

MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons disclosed Magsayo, who sports a 27-2 record with 18 KOs), will be next in line for a possible shot at the WBC super-featherweight crown should he get past Cuellar. Magsayo is coming off a second round stoppage of Ecuadorian Bryan Mercado last December in Long Beach, California. He is one of three Filipino pro fighters included in the Pacquiao-Barrios title fight.

The two others are former super-flyweight world champion Jerwin Ancajas and Olympic bronze medalist Eumir Marcial. The 29-year-old Marcial, fighting as a middleweight, will take on American Alexis Gaytan as he climbs back to the ring after more than a year of absence. Ancajas’ opponent has yet been named.

Source: spin.ph