Sonsona, Jacobo vow good fight

Makati City — ‘Marvelous’ Marvin Sonsona and Carlos “Relampago” Jacobo promised a bloody encounter this Saturday when they tangle in the main event of the fight card billed “He’s Back with a Vengeance” at the Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu City.

Both fighters faced the media yesterday afternoon at the Greenbelt 5 in Makati and immediately started the sabre rattling.

The 21-year-old Sonsona, who has been on hiatus for almost 20 months, said that he’ll find his Mexican opponent’s weakness then finish him off.

Jacobo for his part said he is well prepared for the fight. “I trained hard for this bout, I trained for two months. I sparred fifteen rounds every day. This will be a great fight.”

Jacobo (14W-3L-1D, 12 KOs) is a former Mexican superbantamweight champion and last April 16, won the vacant WBC Fecombox title by 5th round TKO against Ulises Cadena.

“My strongest punch is the right straight,” Jacobo said. The right hand lead is one of the textbook weapons against a left hander like Sonsona. He however, admitted that he haven’t sparred with any left-hander.

Jacobo’s trainer Miguel Angel Meza Salazar said his boxer earned his ring moniker — Relampago or Flash of Lightning because of his lightning speed when he was younger.

“When he was younger, he moved like thunder and lightning inside the ring, he was very fast,” said Salazar. “Now, he has learned control and to calculate his actions.”

Sonsona became WBO world superflyweight champion in 2009 when he beat Jose ‘Carita’ Lopez of Puerto Rico by unanimous decision in Canada. Two months later, he lost his title in his first defense when he failed to make the required weight against Mexico’s Alejandro Hernandez. That bout ended in a draw. Sonsona (14W-1L-1D, 12 KOs) has not fought since February 27, 2010, when he was stopped in four rounds by Wilfredo Vasquez Jr. in Bayamon, Puerto Rico in a WBO superbantamweight title bout.

“I came back on my own free will,” Sonsona said, “I love boxing, This will be my profession until I grow old.”

Sonsona expressed confidence after sparring against some of Omega Gym’s top fighters like Weng Haya, Jimrex Jaca, Rey Labao and Jessie Cris Rosales as well as Dodie Boy Penalosa Jr.

Promoter Sammy Gello-ani said that he could have gotten an easy foe for Sonsona but chose a tough Mexican instead as he promised that by next year, SGG Promotions will have a new world boxing champion.

The presscon was hosted by AKTV IBC 13. The fight will be aired live on Saturday at 9 p.m.