BAGUIO CITY – World Boxing Organization (WBO) superflyweight champion Marvin “Marvelous” Sonsona backed out of his scheduled 6-week training in this mountain resort city because of the destruction wrought by typhoons 'Ondoy' and 'Pepeng' over the past three weeks.

Sonsona will instead return to Cebu to resume his training before leaving early for the United States in order to be able to adjust with the weather condition before his November 21 title defense in Canada.

Former city councilor Rufino Panagan, a well-known local boxing promoter and manager, said the decision of the world champion’s trainers to abandon their plans to train in the city is a big blow to the promotion of Baguio as a good place to hold a boxer’s high altitude training.