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Marvin Sonsona resurrects his career with marvelous knockout victory

Former world super flyweight champion Marvin Sonsona lived up to his nickname “Marvelous” with a spectacular one-punch, third-round knockout of former Japanese world super bantamweight champion Akifumi “Sugar”  Shimoda of Japan before jubilant Filipino fans at the Cotai Arena of the plush Venetian Resort Hotel and Casino in Macau.

The 23 year old Sonsona put an exclamation point to a spectacular Saturday as two other  Filipinos fighting under the banner of MP Promotions, super featherweight Harmonito De La Torre (12-0, 7 knockouts) nailed Indonesia’s Yakobus Heluka (7-6, 3 KOs) with an explosive right to the jaw at 2:17 of the very first round. Super flyweight prospect Jerwin Ancajas (17-1-1, 10 KOs) demolished Inthanon Sitchamuang (19-7, 10 KOs), dropping the Thai in the first round and then flooring him at 1:30 of the second round forcing the referee to wave it off.

Sonsona started off cautiously, sizing up Shimoda, the No. 2 world ranked Japanese, before setting him up with a stinging right straight and then unleashing a vicious and perfectly timed left uppercut that sent Shimoda crashing to the canvas flat on his back where he lay still for some five minutes before attending ring doctors helped him to his corner.

In making the official announcement popular Lupe Contreras said “this bout comes to a sudden  and dramatic end with an official time of 1 minute and 17 seconds of round number four your winner and now the WBO International featherweight champion, from the Philippines , Marvin “Marvelous” Sonsona.”

Leon Panoncillo, Vice President of the WBO for the Asia-Pacific region placed the championship belt around Sonsona’s  waist as a beaming promoter Sammy Gello-ani, his partner and international matchmaker Sampson Lewkowicz, manager Dr. Rajan Yraola, veteran trainer Jun Agrabio and trainer/promoter Aljoe Jaro celebrated the victory although Sonsona appeared subdued  according to renowned commentator Bob Sheridan because he was worried that Shimoda was badly hurt.



Shimoda was the slightly more aggressive fighter in the first two rounds but his knees buckled for a split second in round two when Sonsona caught him with a left straight although the Japanese didn’t appear to be hurt.

Trainer Agrabio and manager Yraola instructed Sonsona before the start of the third round to be more aggressive and the lanky southpaw promptly responded and  upped the tempo before unleashing a dynamite left uppercut that knocked Shimoda out cold with Filipino referee Atty. Danrex Tapdasan not even bothering to count.

In a post fight interview the newly crowned WBO International featherweight champion told Yahoo Philippines and Viva Sports which produced two, one hour pre-fight specials telecast on “The Main Event” by Pinoy Box Office on Sky Cable, said he would rest for one week before returning to the gym to build on the momentum of his victory on Top Rank’s “Ring of Gold” fight card and was looking ahead to a world title shot after one more fight.

Sonsona, speaking through promoter Gello-ani  atop the ring told Top Rank that he was “just observing what Shimoda could do in the first two rounds and what he would do next. In the third round he was able to catch him and that was the end.”

He said that in the fourth round he was just setting up Shimoda so he could jab and set up Shimoda for a chance to throw the uppercut and when Shimoda made a move it was easy for him to deliver the uppercut. He did not expect that it would really hit the spot but it did and that was the end.

Shimoda entered the ring coming off  five straight wins and a draw after his stunning seventh round knockout at the hands of Rico Ramos in 2011 when he was in control and was leading on the scorecards of all three judges, losing his WBA super bantamweight title in the process.

At the official weigh-in on Friday, Sonsona came in at 125.6 pounds while  Shimoda tipped the scales at 125.8 pounds.

Sonsona predicted shortly after the weigh-in that “it will be a good fight”  but added “I will try to go for a knockout if I get the opening although I am ready to go twelve rounds if I have to.”



The lanky southpaw from General Santos City , hometown of “Fighter of the Decade” Manny Pacquiao  trained diligently for this fight even though the one month period seemed a little too short. However he told us he was totally ready to prove he is back as a title contender.

ABS-CBN Sports & Action, the revamped   Studio 23 channel will telecast the fight at 12:00 noon on Sunday.

With the win Sonsona who became the second youngest Filipino world champion at the age of 19 when he handily beat veteran Puerto Rican super flyweight champion Jose “Carita” Lopez but then fell prey to good times and a carefree lifestyle, achieved his goal of resurrecting  his stature  in what many considered  a career defining fight improved to 18-1-1 with 15 knockouts.

Sonsona told Yahoo Philippines before the fight that the number of Filipinos who came out to support him lifted his spirits and when it was over he thanked God for giving him another chance and his countrymen for their support.
 
His manager and trainer had conceded that the 23 year old Sonsona faced a formidable opponent in Shimoda (28-3-2, 12 KOs) who won what renowned commentator Sheridan was a close opening round.
 
Sheridan said Shimoda landed the heavier punches in round two and picked up the pace more than Sonsona, not realizing that the Filipino was biding his time and waiting for an opening with Sonsona  trying to get into position to land a good shot which Sheridan said  “came like a bolt out of the blue.”
 
When Shimoda crashed to the canvas he snapped his head right back as he hit the deck.


 
Sonsona went jogging religiously every morning and worked out in Dr. Yraola’s gym along Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City and sparred at Pacquiao’s gym at MP Towers in Manila, regularly going twelve rounds with southpaw featherweights Cristian Abila and Archie Toquero.
 
He also had the benefit of nutritionist Roxanne De Villa and strength and conditioning coach Warren Perrante.
 
Yraola and Agrabio mentioned that Sonsona had given up his fun-loving ways in a determined effort to regain his standing as a world title contender which he would surely accomplish with an impressive win over Shimoda who is quick, moves well but didn’t  have the power that Sonsona possessed.
 
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum who watched Sonsona’s press-public workout was impressed by the Filipino’s skill and also by his looks telling us Sonsona “is a good looking kid.”
 
Sonsona told us he planned to put on a good-looking performance in the ring against the world rated Shimoda and he did exactly that with his spectacular fourth round knockout.