Underdog Boxing: Much has changed, but more stayed the same for Marvin Somodio

His usual black and yellow gear, the signature colors of Baguio's Shape Up Boxing Gym, has been replaced with black and green clothing, a staple of the Wild Card Boxing Gym. But aside for small changes such as this one, trainer Marvin Somodio has largely stayed the same. He is still shy but perpetually smiling, unassuming yet knowledgeable. A few months ago, Somodio was granted a P1 Visa that enabled him to work at Freddie Roach's popular gym, a not too shabby achievement for a guy who met the sport of boxing by accident.

One afternoon when he was still in high school, Somodio had nothing better to do so he decided to go with his friends to boxing training. He quickly picked up the nuances of the sweet science and a few weeks later he decided that he wanted to be an amateur boxer. However, he never got his break. He was one of the better prospects but he was never given the opportunity to prove himself.

He then decided to turn pro but a clueless coach almost killed his career before it even began. "Pinapatakbo niya ako ng halos apat na oras," Somodio lamented. " Twelve rounds kami sa mitts tapos twelve rounds sa speed bag at heavy bag." When Somodio's knuckles were swollen from all the punching, his coach made him do push ups with his knuckles.

As a result of the insanely heavy training for a four round fight, Somodio started to hate being a boxer. It was at this point that he decided he wanted to be a trainer instead. He did not want other boxers to undergo what he did, so he dropped his gloves in exchange for mitts. He did not want potentially good boxers to turn away from boxing because their coaches don't exactly know what they are doing. He found his place at Baguio's Shape Up Boxing Gym and got lucky when Roach saw his potential. He has been living boxing's version of a Cinderella story since then.

When I first saw him at the Wild Card Gym, Somodio was seated on Roach's right hand side, wrapping the hands of a fighter. It's almost surreal to see him inside the gym as this seemed like a pipe dream a year ago. After finishing his task, he talked to Roach to ask for permission to leave for a while. When the multi-titled trainer allowed him to, Somodio walked to the store in front of the gym to withdraw some money. He then walked straight to a Western Union branch down the block to send money home.

"Nagpapagawa kasi ako ng bahay sa Iloilo kaya kailangang magpadala ng pera palagi," he said. After completing the transaction, Somodio quickly ran back to the gym. He knows that a lot of people need him back there, and he's not the kind of guy who would waste anyone's time.

This has always been one of his best qualities - being always on time. He wakes up at 6 am and is at the gym at 7 am. He stays there until the place closes at 8 pm. "Paminsan nga kapag marami talagang trabaho halos hindi na ako nakakakain," Somodio said. "Pero okay lang, at least kumikita."

Being apart from everything he knew is difficult for Somodio. He lives alone in Roach's four-room apartment just beside the gym. He has no family anywhere near and all his friends here are from the gym. He battles loneliness on a daily basis but he never allows it to get the best of him. He took this job and he was going to do everything he could to be good at it. That's just how he was built. If he was going to do something, he makes it a point to do it well.

From training fighters to wrapping hands, from running the gym to mixing coffee, Somodio puts a premium on getting everything right. This is one of the reasons why Roach trusts him so much. It took Somodio one look to understand how Roach wraps his fighters' hands and he has done the exact same thing from that point on.


Last month, all of Somodio's efforts bore fruit when he trained Brian Viloria in what would be his first world title victory as a boxing trainer. "Kabado talaga ako sa laban na yun kasi alam kong maraming Pilipino yung nakatutok," Somodio said. "Buti na lang naging maganda yung resulta ng laban."

Somodio was severely understating his and Viloria's performance. It was not just a good win, it was one of the best wins of Viloria's boxing career. It's difficult to imagine how he could be at this point when a few months back Somodio was thinking of quitting the fight game altogether after Karlo Maquinto's death. Somodio struggled after that harrowing experience, but the memory of his fallen fighter coupled with his hard work has pushed Somodio to heights that he never imagined he would reach.

But, even with all the success he has gotten and the money he has earned, there's one thing that Somodio looks forward to most. Like most Filipinos living here in the United States, he longs to go home.

"Two weeks na lang at makakauwi na ako sa wakas," he told me. "Pero di rin ako magtatagal dun sa Pilipinas. Babalik rin ako sa January." Somodio was granted three years to work in the United States and he intends to take advantage of the opportunity given to him. Here, he is making the kind of money that isn't available for boxing trainers in the Philippines, but he also understands that this gig is not forever. This is why he's saving as much money as he can and absorbing as much information as his mind can store.

A lot has changed for Marvin Somodio but it is comforting to know that more has stayed the same. He's now a big shot trainer who helped Viloria unify the WBA and WBO flyweght titles, but he's still as humble as the trainer who handled upstart fighters a couple of years ago. What has enabled Somodio to stay this grounded? It's quite simple. From the very start, he knew what boxing meant to him. It's a way to earn a decent living for himself and his loved ones, and it's an opportunity and a challenge to shape young men and women to be the best they could be.

This was what he believed in back in Baguio. It's still what he believes in here in Los Angeles. - AMD/OMG, GMA News



This article is was written in memory of my uncle Roberto Pamintuan who's one of the most punctual, dedicated, and hard-working men I ever knew.