A tactical adjustment from head trainer Freddie Roach and Filipino assistant trainer Marvin Somodio helped Mark "Magnifico" Magsayo retain his unblemished record and earn a shot at the World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight title when he defeated Mexican slugger Julio Ceja on the undercard of the match between Manny Pacquiao and Yordenis Ugas last August 22 (Manila time).
The fight started well for the undefeated Magsayo (23-0, 16 KOs) as he scored a knockdown in the very first round, but he immediately realized Ceja was no pushover when the Mexican was able to recover quickly.
"When I knocked him down in the first round, I wanted to follow up immediately. I threw more punches, triple hooks, but he was able to defend and recover immediately," Magsayo said.
"We knew the match would be a brawl because that's always what happens between Filipinos and Mexicans. But we started to see that we're on the losing end of the brawl so we had to change our game plan."
Ceja pushed forward relentlessly as he swept the second to sixth rounds in all three judges' scorecards, connecting with body punches against Magsayo.
"We gave him some of the middle rounds because we wanted Ceja to tire himself out. It was a 12-round fight and we could afford to lose a few rounds as long as we stayed fresh and won the later rounds," said Magsayo.
"I just did my best to defend."
This tactic almost proved catastrophic when the Filipino fell into one of Ceja's traps in the fifth.
Ceja continued his digs to the body and when he sensed he had Magasayo focusing his defense in his midsection, the Mexican floored him with a left hook.
"The punch to my head that knocked me down wasn't that strong. It was really the body punches that hurt me. I was more surprised by it because I was expecting him to throw another body punch but he went high," explained Magsayo.
The Bohol native admitted that they all knew the scorecards were in favor of Ceja heading into the later rounds of the match so they started changing their strategy during the seventh.
"Our adjustment started during the seventh round. Coach Marvin told me that once Ceja attacks, I should not let myself be cornered. He told me that if Ceja corners me, he'll keep attacking so the adjustment was to clinch and walk back to the middle of the ring from the eighth to the tenth," Magsayo said.
"As a fighter, I really don't clinch. Even in the earlier rounds, I didn't clinch. I wanted to exchange but he was powerful so we had to adjust."
When Magsayo stopped playing Ceja's game, he started regaining his rhythm. He also got to rest a little bit as he stopped absorbing consecutive body blows from his Mexican foe.
"In the seventh and eighth, I was still figuring out how to use the adjustment that my coaches told me to do but starting with the ninth, I could really see it was effective. When his punches started to lose steam and when I kept clinching to stop his attacks, I felt he got frustrated. He stopped throwing to the body and that was my to cue attack," the Filipino prospect said.
"I was able to breathe easier. My midsection stopped hurting. That's when we decided it was time to knock him out. In the tenth, I threw a wild overhand right and it connected. I felt he was groggy so I followed up. I threw a hook but he saw it coming so I threw a double straight that knocked him out."
The win was huge for Magsayo's career as he was watched by millions of Filipinos while they were waiting for Pacquiao to step into the ring again. It also guaranteed him a shot at the WBC 126-pound title.
"If (defending WBC featherweight champion) Gary Russell Jr. does not go up to 130 pounds, we could fight," Magsayo said. "If he goes up in weight, then I'll also be one of the fighters who'll compete for the vacant title."
However, perhaps more than a future title shot, Magsayo was ecstatic that he fulfilled a lifelong dream of fighting on the same card as Pacquiao.
"I was so happy that my dream of fighting as an undercard for Senator Manny Pacquiao finally happened. I stepped into the ring knowing that I'll do whatever it takes to win. I wanted to show the world what I can do," said Magsayo.
"He left so many great memories. His legacy will serve as an inspiration not just for me but for all Filipino boxers. He's been my hero since I was young and he'll always be my idol."