Mark Magsayo turns attention to Lamont Roach, hopes to challenge for WBA title this year

After scoring his first significant win in the junior lightweight division, Mark Magsayo is looking to the future at 130 pounds. He hopes that future includes a WBA junior lightweight title.

The 28-year-old from Tagbilaran City, Philippines got the job done this past Saturday, beating former title challenger Eduardo Ramirez by unanimous decision on the Gervonta Davis-Frank Martin undercard in Las Vegas. It wasn’t an encore of Magsayo’s first fight at 130 pounds last December, when he blasted out trialhorse Isaac Avelar with a single hook. On this night, Magsayo flashed his power with a knockdown in the third round before cruising to a comfortable points win.

Still, there was lots to take away from the ten round performance.

“Everybody is expecting a knockout I think because of the Avelar fight. But everything depends on the situation, too. I listen to my coach. We want to show that I can win rounds too if the KO is not there and not lose rounds while going after the KO. A lot of people don’t know that Ramirez is sneaky and a veteran,” said Magsayo (26-2, 17 knockouts) a few days after the fight.

“Like always I want to improve and adjust. I am never content and I will be back in the gym this week.”

Trainer Marvin Somodio was pleased with how his fighter looked at the new weight, displaying stamina and punching power that had abandoned him in his last two fights at featherweight, where he struggled to make the 126-pound limit after ten years of fighting in that division. He says they were cautious about Magsayo’s counterpunching opponent, and were content to get the win while steering clear of disaster.

“We have a saying, you don’t have to fix that which is not broken. He was winning each round. If we try to box and play it safe then we can win so easily because we’re winning every round,” said Somodio.

Now Magsayo is hoping he has positioned himself for another title opportunity, with WBA junior lightweight titleholder Lamont Roach his preferred target. Roach (24-1-1, 9 KOs) of Upper Marlboro, Md. won the title in November, defeating Hector Luis Garcia by split decision. Roach will make the first defense of his belt on June 28, when he faces unbeaten Irishman Feargal McCrory (16-0, 8 KOs) in Washington D.C.

Magsayo was the no. 6 contender in the most recent WBA rankings, but promoter Sean Gibbons of MP Promotions hopes that Magsayo picking up the WBA Inter-Continental belt in the Ramirez fight will boost his ranking to as high as no. 2 when the next rankings come out.

“It will be a very interesting fight,” said Magsayo, who previously held the WBC featherweight title. “I’m excited for that. He is a great champion. Let’s put that to the test when he defends the belt against me.”

“Next stop hopefully is the WBA world title,” added Gibbons. Worst case is that we do an eliminator but definitely shooting for a world title some time later in the year.”

Roach, who has won five straight since his lone defeat, a 2019 points loss to Jamel Herring for the WBO junior lightweight title, is rated no. 4 by The Ring, while Magsayo has yet to enter The Ring’s ratings at 130 pounds.

Speaking with The Ring, Roach says that a fight with Magsayo isn’t one he has pondered, but adds it’s a fight he would consider if unification bouts don’t materialize.

“I never necessarily thought about it but I guess it would be cool. I wouldn’t necessarily set out and be like I want to fight Mark, and I understand why he says he wants to fight me because I have a title but my goal is to unify. If it doesn’t happen and that fight is available and lucrative, I would take that fight for sure because he is a tough competitor,” said Roach.

Meanwhile, Somodio insists that his fighter is ready for that challenge.

“Even before this fight he was ready for him. I know Lamont Roach is a good boxer but I think Mark is just a different animal,” said Somodio.

Ryan Songalia has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler and The Guardian, and is part of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism Class of 2020. He can be reached at [email protected].