It was a hard-earned victory, but boxer Jessel Mark Magsayo completed his bucket list to become a world champion.
This, after he upset Gary Russell Jr. in their world title clash at the Borgota Hotel Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The Tagbilaran City, Bohol native got a close 114-114, 115-113, 115-113 majority score from the three judges to snatch the WBC world featherweight title away from Russell.
Magsayo started the first round with aggressive punches, landing numerous right hands to the defense of Russell. However, latter countered with his own attacks in the second, including a left straight that hurt Magsayo a bit.
The new champion regained his form in the third and targeted Russell’s body with hard right punches causing him to suffer an injury on his right arm in the fourth when he landed a right hand to the face of Magsayo.
Both teams entangled in the ring. Magsayo was able to penetrate the defense of Russell with a counter right hand but the latter responded in the eighth frame with a counter left straight that knocked the Filipino off balance.
Suffering from injury, Russell became elusive in the ninth and 10th rounds forcing his opponent to miss but Magsayo still landed a left hook about three seconds before the 10th round concluded. The two remaining rounds became sluggish as both teams grasping for air.
“This is my dream,” Magsayo said. “Now that I am a world champion, I am willing to fight anybody, even Russell (again).”
With the victory, Magsayo kept his untarnished slate of 24-0-0, including 16 victories by way of stoppages, while Russell lost for just the second time in his career to drop to 32-2-0 with 18 KO wins.IMT Sports
