“Magic” Mike Plania Thrills Audience By Pulling Hooks Out of Thin Air

The Fighting News

June 16, 2020.

A 4-1 underdog entered the ring last night against a top-ten contender on a five-year, 18-fight win streak, who carries a pillow with the words “Night Night” to wave over his KO’d opponents, and left with a confident announcement: “This win will change my life.” Mike Plania, nicknamed “Magic,” is well aware of the road to success in professional boxing, hailing from the same hometown as the great Manny Pacquaio, General Santos City in the Philippines, which also happens to be the birthplace of potential future opponent and likely future Hall-of-Famer Nonito Donaire. 

Plania’s power was on clear display from the opening bell, scoring his first knock down at just a little over the one-minute mark with a very unconventional left hook that looped in out of nowhere and caught the overexposed chin of Joshua Greer, Jr. Greer has been knocked down several times before and always ended up victorious, earning his place as the WBO’s #1 contender, but tonight he took too long to figure out his opponent, and too long to make the necessary adjustments.

Most of rounds two through five continued with Plania executing his game plan, staying on the outside, and frustrating Greer. Greer started off the fifth round with promise-scoring with a two punch combination to the body that disturbed Plania’s rhythm and forced him out of position, but Greer did not follow up. After another thirty seconds, Plania seemed to have decided that he just took Greer’s best shots and his entire body language changed. He appeared loose and relaxed, ready to whip out that left hook again. 

In round six, it was Plania who decided to start strong and landed several one-two combinations to the body of Greer. As the round went on, Plania’s confidence grew-he was goading Greer Jr to come in and fight, holding his hands low, still loose and relaxed. With around 7 seconds left in the round, Greer was again caught with his chin up in the air and knocked down by another whipping left hook from Magic Mike.

In the seventh round, Plania showed even greater prowess with that left hook by doubling and even tripling it to the body of Greer and often following up with another hook upstairs.  

Round eight saw the best adjustment by Greer as either he or his corner decided that the end of Plania’s punches was not the place to be anymore. Greer fought his way to the inside, tied up when he had to, and significantly increased his output. Plania seemed frustrated for the first time, and his own punches from the inside range lacked the stinging power compared to his long range bombs. 

With renewed confidence, Greer stuck to his gameplay and fought through rounds nine and ten the way a top-ten contender should, with grit and determination, stalking and punching, proving that he can continue to climb the ladder despite this setback.  But at the top of that ladder is a fighter who recently disposed of Plania’s esteemed countryman Nonito Donaire, a fighter already on the top of many pound-per-pound ratings, Naoya Inoue, the Monster. 

At any rate, the loss will test Joshua “Don’t Blink” Greer Jr.’s commitment to the sport as he returns to the woodshed. As for Magic Mike Plania, congratulations to his win via majority decision (judge Dave Moretti scored the bout a draw), and to yet another boxing success story.

By Matt Benoliel