Boxing: Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo delivers 2nd TKO vs. Ecuadorian foe

Congratulations poured in for Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo as he closed out 2024 with an impressive fight.

Magsayo remained on track for a title shot after he demolished Ecuador’s Bryan Mercado inside two rounds in their lightweight bout last Sunday (Manila time) in Long Beach, California.

Magsayo dropped Mercado four times with left hooks to the body.

Currently ranked third in the WBC super featherweight division, Magsayo is targeting a world title eliminator against Eduardo Hernandez of Mexico, where his promoter Sean Gibbons is working hard to seal the fight.

The pride of Tagbilaran City, Bohol, has garnered admiration from fans and fellow Filipino boxers, but he has a lot of work to do to prepare for bigger fights in 2025.

He once held the WBC featherweight strap after edging Gary Russell Jr. by majority decision in January 2022 before losing to Vargas on points six months later.

The 29-year-old is rated in the top five by the four major sanctioning bodies, including No. 3 by the WBC and WBO. He is highly likely to contend for a belt next year.

Magsayo was aggressive from the get-go and was just simply too good for Mercado (11-7-1, 6KOs). He knocked down Mercado for the first time late in the first round with a vicious left hook to the body.

Magsayo has been on a resurgence since suffering back-to-back defeats at the hands of two-division champions Rey Vargas and Brandon Figueroa.