|
 FILIPINO
boxer Rodel Mayol believes his latest loss
is just like one of the many trials a boxer must
overcome and that his defeat last weekend all the more
motivates him to pull out all the stops in aiming for
another title bid.
Interviewed by BusinessMirror via overseas call
yesterday in Las Vegas, the 25-year-old Mayol said even
established titleholders go through the same fate as he
had last weekend and rebounding from that kind of
experience is what makes a champion eminent.
“Kahit
si Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales nakatikim ng
talo pero bumabalik sila. And’un pa din ang
paniwala ko na magiging champion pa din ako,”
said Mayol.
Mayol
absorbed a painful one-punch eighth-round knockout loss
to International Boxing Federation (IBF) light-flyweight
champion Ulises Solis Sunday morning (Manila time) at
the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.
“Ramdam
ko na sa laban na matatalo ko siya. Alam ko nasaktan ko
siya kaya lang hindi ko lang talaga nakita ’yung
straight niya. Siguro lesson sa akin ’yun para next time
mas magiging handa ako,’ added Mayol.
The
Mandaue-native Mayol started pretty well for a huge
underdog as he confounded the heavily favored Solis’s
potent left jabs and hooks as the Filipino efficiently
moved his head from side to side.
Mayol
and Solis started to mix it up by the third round, with
the Filipino getting his best round in the sixth where
he floored the Mexican with a fierce left hook to the
face.
Referee
John O’Brien, however, declared the fall a slip, denying
Mayol of what could have been an inspiring 10-8 round.
Both
fighters continued their fierce exchange until Solis saw
a slight opening in Mayol’s defense that led to that
spectacular single blow conclusion.
“Siguro
kung hindi niya ako tinamaan siya ang babagsak kasi
groggy na din siya,” said Mayol. “Ganado ako
na lumaban ulit kasi and’un na ’yung chance.
Dapat matuto pa ako ng iba pang technique.”
Mayol,
who earned $25,000 for the failed title bid, also
attributed his loss to the lack of sparring partners the
whole time he trained at the Top Rank Gym in Las Vegas.
Mayol
revealed he had a hard time finding a sparring partner
in the proximity of his weight limit and that training
with bigger but slower boxers affected his instinct on
defense.
Mayol
plans to stay in the
United States
for two more days as his agent Michael Koncz is
reportedly working on another fight sometime in October
or November.
“Kung
may laban uli na makuha, dito na muna ako mag-stay.
Andito na din lang siguro ituloy ko na ang sakripisyo,”
added Mayol who arrived in the US last April 15.
Mayol’s
wife Lira and the couple’s son Bryce are scheduled to be
interviewed on August 15 for their
US
visa and are hopeful they could be together within the
month.
Mayol
will still work under American trainer Kenny Adams who
is best known as the guru of American Olympians.
“Magaling
siya magturo sa adjustment pag laban na.
Pag-hindi mo makuha sa isang style dapat meron ka agad
adjustment. Yun pa ang dapat ko matutunan kay
Kenny,” said Mayol.
In a
separate interview from
Los Angeles,
Koncz believes Mayol still has what it takes to become a
world champion.
“Rodel
worked very hard but he deviated from the game plan. We
knew we can’t be a counter-puncher with Solis but that’s
what ended up happening for whatever reason,” said Koncz
“But still I’m very proud of Rodel. He knew how
important this was for the Filipino people, himself and
his family. Unfortunately he didn’t come out on top that
night.”
The
Solis bout was Mayol second attempt at a world title.
His first shot happened May of last year where he
dropped a close unanimous decision to Japan-based Thai
World Boxing Council (WBC) minimumweight champion Eagle
Kyowa at the famed Korakuen Hall in
Tokyo, Japan.
Mayol
now parades a record of 23-2 with 18 stoppages while
Solis improves to 24-1-2, 19 KO’s. |
