Farewell ex-WBF champ William Magahin

FORMER World Boxing Federation (WBF) welterweight champion William Magahin has died in Iloilo City in the Philippines. He was 56.

The news was confirmed by another former boxing champion Revero “Gentle Giant” Santillan, who received the information from Magahin’s former wife Agnes.

“Rest well William Magahin,” Agnes wrote in a Facebook post September 25.

Santillan, 47, formerly based in Japan as boxing trainer, said Magahin visited him in his boxing training camp in Barangay Tacas, Jaro, Iloilo City five days before he passed away.

“He promised to visit me again. He left saying he needed to have more sleep because he was driving a taxi,” said Santillan, who won the Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) 147 lb crown four times in a checkered fistic career in 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007.

Magahin, an Amerasian, grew up in Olongapo City and was adopted by Negros-born businessman Roland, who ran and lost for Iloilo City mayor in 2025.

Under the tutelage of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP), Magahin represented the Philippines in the 4th World Junior Championships from June 26 to July 5, 1987, in Havana, Cuba.

He turned professional by knocking out Eric Togana in a six-round aperitif in Manila on July 11, 1989. After one month, he defeated Geronimo Magallanes via 8-round unanimous decision at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on August 19, 1989.

Magahin suffered his first loss as a professional in his third fight, a 10-round non-title duel against journeyman Jessie Solis at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila in October 1989.

After racking up three successive wins against Bernabe Aliping (January 1990), Armando Andales (May 1990), Boy Ligas (July 1990 for the Philippine lightweight championship), Magahin suffered his second defeat in a rematch against Solis at the Pasay City Sports Complex on December 30, 1990, and yielded his Philippine lightweight belt.

REVENGE

In their third meeting, Magahin decisioned Solis in 12 rounds to win back his RP diadem at the University of San Agustin gym in Iloilo City on May 25, 1991.

The 5 feet and 9 inches tall black fighter who spoke fluent Hiligaynon rose to fame when he brutally knocked out the fading former WBC junior lightweight champion Rolando Navarette (56-15-3, 33 KOs) in the sixth canto at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on July 31, 1991. Navarette retired after the cruel defeat.

The win earned Magahin a trip to Tokyo, Japan where he was bludgeoned by then undefeated and future WBC lightweight champion Miguel Angel “Tokyo Santa” Gonzalez (51-5-1, 40 KOs), in a scary fourth round disposal at the Kurakuen Hall on August 19, 1991.

Magahin (18-7-1, 12 KOs) won the WBF 147 lb championship by 12-round unanimous decision against Australian Jeff Malcolm (100-27-11, 36 KOs) at the Iloilo Sports Complex in Iloilo City on March 25, 1995.

In his first defense, Magahin, known as “The Black Mamba”, defended the title against Erwin Villaver (14-8-1, 12 KOs), a Fil-Am from Hawaii, in another 12-round unanimous decision at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila on May 27, 1995.

He successfully kept the WBF diadem then headed by Tennessee-based Ron Scalf by whipping by TKO another Australian Brad Mogeridge in Bacolod City on August 5, 1995.

In his third defense, Magahin traveled to Medan, North Sumatra in Indonesia and yielded his crown to local favorite Suwito Lagola on points on October 21, 1995.

The Iloilo buzzsaw, a southpaw, tried to regain the crown but was TKO’d by Texas knockout artist Jaime Lerma (25-8, 18 KOs) in the 10^th stanza at the Ninoy Aquino Staium in Manila on January 20, 1996.

He retired after the debacle.