Past: Navarette / Present: Pacquiao / Future: __________?

By Benjie Varella – First there was Rolando Navarette, the former WBC Super Featherweight champion of the world who became the most fearsome boxer in his division almost 3 decades ago. As record shows, he stole the championship belt by knocking out then super featherweight champ Cornelius Boza Edwards in Italy. Navarette proved too strong when he knocked out the champion in round five of that championship bout..

At present is Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, the pound-for-pound king who worked his way up to gain the status he is at.

From flyweight where he dominated this division, he climbed all the way to light welterweight knocking almost every boxer out.

To name a few, but popular past opponents he annihilated were Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar “Golden Boy” De La Hoya and Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton. (ever wonder why the first three names mentioned above lost their nicknames after Pacman destroyed them?).

Navarette and Pacquiao have something in common. Not only that both held the WBC Super Featherweight Championship belt but both of these tough men are sons of General Santos city of the Philippines.

Navarette of the past, Pacquiao of the present and seemingly General Santos City is now on the verge of giving birth to another champion in the future and that’s no other than the “Marvellous” Marvin Sonsona.

Boxing analysts, including this writer is confident that Sonsona who is only 18-years of age and described as the “Wonder Boy” will capture a title in a year or two.

Sonsona who is the WBO Asia Pacific Youth champion recently added to his resume the WBO Oriental flyweight belt after demolishing two-time world champion Wanpiondee Singwancha in only two rounds and now has a perfect record of 13 wins, no losses and 12 coming by way of knockout.

Bruce Mc Tavish, a veteran international referee who was the third man on the ring between the Sonsona and Singwancha’s bout last Saturday at the Cebu Coliseum, Cebu city was quoted as saying that he was impressed and shocked with the power Sonsona possesses whom he described was a young thin boy.

Sonsona’s promoter Sammy Gello-ani is hoping that the “Wonder Boy” will get a crack at the WBO flyweight champion Omar Navarez sometime next year.

Gello-ani believes that Sonsona will be the youngest champion of the Philippines, yet another product of Genral Santos city.