New WBC featherweight champion Mark Magsayo (File photo) MANILA - Mark Magsayo became the first world champion of the Philippines for 2022 after beating Gary Russell for the WBC featherweight championship on Sunday at the Borgata Hotel Casino in Atlantic City. In his biggest victory so far, Magsayo, a native of Tagbilaran, flashed his brilliance for most part of the bout. Russell, however, showed heart despite hurting his right shoulder and kept the fight too close that it ended up in a majority decision favoring Magsayo. Magsayo began the match aggressive, quickly tagging Russell with power shots especially to the torso to get a head start three rounds in. Russell appeared to have bounced back early into Round 4, but after landing a punch, he apparently injured his right shoulder. Despite the injury and even the weight issues he had late into training camp, the 33-year-old Russell proved why he has been a champion in the 126-pound division for nearly seven years, eventually slowing Ma
MARK “MAGNIFICO” MAGSAYO snatched Gary Russell Jr.’s World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight belt in a 12-round fight that saw the Filipino displaying immense aggression and the dethroned American flashing a survival instinct characteristic of a true champion. Russell fought with only one effective arm, his left, after his right shoulder…