somodio
Marvin Somodio (left) primes Manny Pacquiao before a sparring match. File Photo

Fast-rising Filipino boxing trainer Marvin Somodio has the chance to win his first world title as chief cornerman of Siberian brawler Ruslan Provodnikov when the Siberian brawler fights Mike Alvarado for the vacant World Boxing Organization junior welterweight title in an HBO-televised main event Saturday at the 1st Bank Center in Broomfield, Denver, Colorado.

Somodio, the trusted assistant of renowned trainer Freddie Roach, will likely sub for the five-time Trainer of the Year because Roach is out in General Santos City

supervising the training camp of Pinoy icon Manny Pacquiao for his November 24 ring return against Oxnard, California’s Brandon Rios.

Roach had earlier said he would work the corner of Provodnikov, who is better known as Manny Pacquiao’s devil-may-care puncher of a sparring partner.

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“Manny has given me permission to go,” Roach told RingTV.com managing editor Doug Fischer, referring to the fact he’d have to leave Pacquiao’s camp in the Philippines to make it out to Denver for the fight.

“I’m going to be able to make the fight by a little bit and then I’ll have to leave right away. I don’t know exactly how that is going to play out yet.”

But there are indications that Roach is inclined to allow his trusted Pinoy assistant to call the shots in Provodnikov’s second title shot since narrowly losing to World Boxing Organization welterweight champion in a potential “Fight of the Year” candidate last March 16 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

Somodio—29, and former trainer at Shape Up Boxing Gym in Baguio City—worked the corner of former unified super flyweight champion Brian Viloria in his unanimous decision loss to Mexican Juan Francisco Estrada at the Venetian Resort Hotel in Macau.