Internationally respected New Zealand referee Bruce McTavish believes that WBO super flyweight challenger “Marvelous” Marvin Sonsona who battles veteran Jose “Carita” Lopez for his title at the Rama Casino in Ontario, Canada on September 4 “is more powerful than (Manny) Pacquiao” when Pacquiao was at that weight..

In an interview conducted at the Orchid Inn in Angeles City by Australia’s “Promoter of the Year” Peter Maniatis who hosts a popular weekly show titled “KO Boxing” in Sydney, McTavish clarified his comment by saying that “a lot of people think that Pacquiao is just a knockout artist. Pacquiao boxes, he uses his speed, he’s lateral movement.”

McTavish described the 19 year old Sonsona who is undefeated with a record of 13-0 with 12 knockouts as “more of a stand-up fighter and believe it or not he looks like a rod, he’s so skinny. But the kid is so powerful.”

The international referee who lives in Angeles City recalled that he refereed Sonsona’s last fight against former WBC interim champion Wandee Singwancha of Thailand and after the first round McTavish thought “this will be a very close fight and he turned around in the second round and knocked him (Wandee) out cold.”

The concern McTavish had was the fact that Sonsona, according to his manager as well as his trainers was 125 pounds which is ten pounds over the limit and with the long hours in flight and the fact that they have just ten days before the fight, it could be risky. However, Donaire Sr said he was confident the weight would be no problem..

Sonsona leaves for Canada on Tuesday along with trainers Nonito Donaire Sr and Jun Agrabio, his manager Dr. Rajan Yraola and Filipino promoter Sammy Gello-ani.

The 37 year old Lopez is a brawler and a fighter who can take a punch and has a record of 39-7-2 with 32 knockouts which means he has had four times the number of fight that Sonsona has engaged in although he is almost twice Sonsona’s age..