International matchmaker Sean Gibbons told a virtual press conference on Monday that the unbeaten 25-year-old Magsayo (21-0 win-loss record with 14 knockouts) would definitely be breathing fire in his second fight under Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) of Al Haymon.
“For Mark Magsayo, he was lucky enough that he had a visa. He was able to get here [US] by July and had a great fight in October to get his career back on track after a quite long layoff,” said Gibbons, referring to Magsayo’s split decision victory over American Rigoberto Hermosillo in a non-title fight last October 3 in Los Angeles.
“We have to thank the PBC and Al Haymon for resurrecting his career and keep it going. This is the fight that will put Mark into the next step, hoping we’ll fight a world title either WBA [World Boxing Association] or an IBF [International Boxing Federation] title-eliminator,” Gibbons added.
Magsayo said his trainer, Hall of Famer Freddie Roach, instructed him to go for the knockout against the 34-year-old Cruz (21-3 win-loss record with six knockouts).
“We have almost the same record but I got the upper hand because I have no loss, he has three,” said Magsayo of Tagbilaran City. “He loves to move forward during fights so coach Freddie’s instruction is to knock him out.”
The Magsayo-Cruz fight is one of the supporting fights of the main bout between IBF super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas and Mexican challenger Jonathan Javier Rodriguez at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.