By Dennis Principe
Attending what is considered as the country’s biggest boxing conclave, former world super flyweight champion Marvin Sonsona was all set to reintroduce himself in the recent annual Gabriel Elorde awards night.
Dressed to the nines, Sonsona arrived at the posh Okada Hotel in Pasay City in high spirits. But the radiant smile suddenly disappeared when informed by two ladies assigned at the main door that his name was not in the list.
His face turning red in embarrassment, Sonsona insisted he deserves to be inside the event.
“Dati akong world champion ha? Dapat andiyan pangalan ko” said Sonsona.
Luckily for Sonsona, he is now under the care of manager and trainer Joven Jimenez, the same handler of Philippine boxing’s emerging star and defending IBF world super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas who was a major awardee that night.
“Ako na ang nagpapasok sa kaniya pero sa totoo lang, maganda na nangyari sa kaniya yun,” said Jimenez who attended the event together with Ancajas.
“Sabi ko sa kaniya challenge sa kaniya yun kasi parang nakalimutan na siya ng tao. Nasa sa kaniya na yun kung pagbubutihin niya sa ensayo para makabalik sa dati niyang estado.”
Back in September 2009, Sonsona made an impact in Philippine boxing when at age 19, he became the second youngest Filipino world boxing champion by defeating Puerto Rican Jose ‘Carita’ Lopez via 12-round decision in their battle for the vacant WBO 115lb crown in Canada.
While he considers it as a blessing, Sonsona believes his victory over Lopez was the one that led to his eventual downfall as he felt he was not matured enough to handle success at that time.
“Totoo yun, mas maraming hindi magandang nangyari kaysa sa maganda, kasi yun nga isip bata pa ako, kasi mahilig na ako sa party, ganun,” admits Sonsona. “Ang pagkakamali ko kasi hindi ko napaghandaan na ganun pala mangyayari. Pero ngayon dalawa na anak ko, ibibigay ko na talaga 100% ko sa mga laban ko.”
As one of the supposed forgotten boxers wanting to prove their worth by undergoing rigorous training at Jimenez’ Survival Camp in Magallanes, Cavite, Sonsona has so far impressed his new trainer two weeks after entering the camp.
