Vayson Looks to Overcome Dominant Collazo and Continue Filipino Tradition
- Matthew Brown
- Sep 16
- 3 min read
By Stephen G
09/16/2025
The Philippines has long been a breeding ground for world-class boxing talent. From flyweight trailblazer Pancho Villa to the iconic Flash Elorde, gritty underdog Ben Villaflor, and modern great Manny Pacquiao, the nation remains a hotbed of elite fighters. This weekend, the unheralded Jayson Vayson hopes to etch his name alongside those Filipino legends as he challenges unbeaten strawweight kingpin Oscar Collazo.
Vayson knows the odds are stacked against him and welcomes the challenge. The soft-spoken contender insists that Collazo’s reputation carries no weight once the bell rings.
“In the boxing world, I feel like I’m always being underestimated,” Vayson told Filipino boxing outlet Powcast Sports. “But that’s actually what I love, because it pushes me to work hard and put in the effort to win this fight.”
Former Collazo foe Melvin Jerusalem believes Vayson has what it takes, highlighting the challenger’s game-changing power as a major threat.
Adding to Vayson’s uphill climb is the need to make a weight he hasn’t reached since defeating fellow Filipino Ronald Alapormina nearly seven years ago—a strain he openly admits. To shed the final three pounds, Vayson has had to severely limit his intake, even starving himself at times. It’s far from ideal, but without the resources for a nutritionist or strength-and-conditioning coach, he feels the sacrifice is necessary.
Still, Vayson presses on. He is enduring his first training camp in the United States, making the ultimate sacrifice for a life-changing opportunity. Arriving in late August, he allowed himself ample time to adjust to drastically different conditions and avoid the missteps his countryman Jerusalem made against Collazo. Legendary boxing promoter Sean Gibbons has eased the transition, providing Vayson with a private residence and access to his state-of-the-art Knuckleheads Boxing Gym.
For the first two weeks of camp, the change was jarring; Vayson even resorted to medication to combat jet lag. But he has since settled into life in the U.S. and feels more ready than ever. Accompanying him are head trainer and former world-ranked welterweight Allan Alegria, promoter Brico Santig of Highland Boxing, and a group of compatriots—including Jerwin Ancajas, Vincent Astrolabio, and key sparring partner Jayr Raquinel—who are pushing him toward the colossal task ahead.
Vayson is no stranger to adversity. The 27-year-old has been well-traveled, fighting exclusively outside his native Philippines since the coronavirus pandemic. That stretch includes a highly controversial no contest in Indonesia against hometown contender Tibo Monabesa, where Vayson seemed headed for a monumental upset before a disputed verdict. The WBC later overruled the three local judges after a review in which 10 independent judges unanimously scored the bout widely in Vayson’s favor. He has also fought in Japan three times, upsetting prospect Takeru Inoue and dismantling former world champion Ryuya Yamanaka in dominant fashion.
But Oscar Collazo is no Ryuya Yamanaka, Tibo Monabesa, or Rene Mark Cuarto. The lineal, WBO, and WBA strawweight champion has ruled the 105-pound division since dethroning Filipino titlist Melvin Jerusalem. Collazo’s run through Filipino opponents hasn’t stopped there. Fringe contender Garen Diagan offered little resistance and retired after six rounds of punishing work. More impressively, Collazo outlasted former champion Vic Saludar in a tooth-and-nail affair, rising from the canvas to edge a decision.
Should Jayson Vayson succeed, it would mean a clean sweep of the strawweight world titles for the Philippines. Such a feat could set up a historic home-soil unification clash with either Pedro Taduran or Melvin Jerusalem—marking the first time two Filipino pugilists would unify world titles. The winner of that bout would wear more gold simultaneously than any Filipino boxer before him, including the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Nonito Donaire, and John Riel Casimero.
Eternal glory. Lasting fame. For Vayson, it’s a chance to write a new chapter in the storied history of Filipino boxing—or become the next name on Collazo’s list of victims.
Subscribe to the Brunch Boxing website, Twitter and Podcast for more updates and in-depth coverage of the world of boxing in and out of the ring.
Brunch Boxing Support Links:
Comments