Jessie Magdaleno vs. John Apolinario: Fight Time, Date and TV Info

Every up-and-coming fighter needs to start his ascent to the top somewhere. Aspiring super bantamweight contender Jessie Magdaleno will hope to do just that on Saturday when he goes toe-to-toe with John Apolinario at the Laredo Energy Center in Texas.

“I feel that I am very close to fighting for a world championship and want to get the win and look good to show everyone that I ready to challenge for a world title,” Magdaleno said, per Fight News.

Date	Time (ET)	TV
Saturday, April 11	11 p.m.	Unimas

The fight itself has been mired in controversy, as Magdaleno has taken a number of steps in his quest to reach the sport's pinnacle. After two years with Joel Diaz, Magdaleno relocated to Las Vegas and fired Diaz in favor of Ismael Salas.

"Joel was great," Magdaleno said, per Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "I learned so much from him. But I felt like I needed to do what was best for my family. Julia’s going to graduate from UNLV in May, and she’s working and we’ve got the baby to take care of. We bought a new house, and we’re all together. Joel wasn’t happy about it, but he understands."

Apolinario is also not without risk in this bout. The Philippines native allegedly skipped out of the country and booked the fight despite promoter Sammy Gello-ano having nothing to do with negotiations, per Ronnie Nathanielsz of BoxingScene. No additional information has been given on the circumstances that led to Apolinario skipping out of the Philippines without anyone's knowledge, but it adds a level of intrigue to what should already be an interesting bout.

For Magdaleno, his camp looks at Saturday night as another stepping stone in building his championship resume. He's already compiled a 20-0 record with 15 knockouts, and three months ago, he looked completely dominant in a unanimous-decision win over Erik Ruiz. 

The goal here is similar. Magdaleno expects to walk in and dominate this bout from the outset. Logistically, the quick turnaround from an eight-round contest in January speaks to the fact his camp wants him in a bigger, better matchup one more time before 2015 ends.

“He’s got good fundamentals, and all I want to do is make him even better,” Salas said, per Carp. “I like his determination. He’s got power in both hands, and he listens when you show him something.”

Koji Sasahara/Associated Press

Based on his recent results, there is little reason to think Apolinario will offer much of a challenge. Apolinario has fallen in three of his last four fights and has only one win in his last six. Though that triumph came via a first-round knockout of Joel Escol in January, Escol's career 8-16-3 record does not do much to inspire confidence. The reality is that Apolinario has not done much since building his early-career resume against fellow boxers who can best be described as jobbers.

That said, one shouldn't go into Saturday night expecting a one-punch-and-out bout. Apolinario, for all of his struggles, doesn't go down without a fight. He's only been knocked out once in his career and twice got to his feet against Koki Kameda in a 2013 bout he had zero chance of winning. 

Odds are, with this being an eight-round fight, Apolinario should be able to keep himself upright and avoid the indignity of being sent to the canvas.

As for winning? That would be a major, major upset. Magdaleno is a 23-year-old rising contender who could be one or two more bouts from getting his first title shot. Apolinario appears destined for a career on the lower end of cards, though his clandestine trip to the United States may spark a revival we're not yet privy to.

Either way, it's impossible to compare the two resumes and expect anything other than a Magdaleno victory. Perhaps Apolinario will prove us wrong Saturday night.

I just wouldn't hold my breath.

Prediction: Magdaleno in Unanimous Decision

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