William Magahin

William Magahin died in Iloilo City, Philippines, on 25 September 2026. He was 56. His former wife Agnes announced the death in a Facebook farewell the same day. Former OPBF champion Revero Santillan confirmed the news to local sports media. Columnist Alex P. Vidal published a farewell career account in the Daily Guardian on 26 September 2026. Local reports described an apparent heart attack; a full official medical statement was not detailed in the principal press farewell. Magahin had visited Santillan's training camp in Jaro five days earlier.

William Magahin was born on 25 July 1970. Sports profiles describe him as an Amerasian whose biological father was an American sailor stationed in Olongapo City; he later took the surname of his adoptive parents, Roland Magahin and his wife, Negros-born business people who raised him in Iloilo City, the Queen City of the South. He spoke fluent Hiligaynon and grew up around Western Visayas. As an amateur under the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines he represented the country at the 4th World Junior Championships in Havana, Cuba, from 26 June to 5 July 1987.

Magahin turned professional on 11 July 1989, knocking out Eric Togana in a six-round bout in Manila. Early wins included a decision over Geronimo Magallanes at the Araneta Coliseum and, in July 1990, the vacant Philippine GAB lightweight title against Boy Ligas. He lost the belt in a rematch with Jessie Solis in December 1990, then regained it in their third meeting in Iloilo City on 25 May 1991.

On 31 July 1991 he stopped fading former WBC junior lightweight champion Rolando Navarette in the sixth round at the Araneta Coliseum; Navarette retired after the defeat. Magahin then travelled to Tokyo and was stopped in the fourth round by undefeated Miguel Angel Gonzalez at Korakuen Hall on 19 August 1991. He continued campaigning in the Philippines and, on 25 March 1995 at the Iloilo Sports Complex, won the WBF welterweight title by twelve-round unanimous decision over Australian Jeff Malcolm. He defended against Fil-Am Erwin Villaver (unanimous decision, Manila, 27 May 1995) and Australian Brad Mogeridge (TKO, Bacolod, 5 August 1995) before losing the title on points to Suwito Lagola in Medan, North Sumatra, on 21 October 1995. Trying to regain the belt, he was stopped by Jaime Lerma of Texas at Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila on 20 January 1996 and retired afterwards. Compiled records list him at 18-7-1 with 12 knockouts.

After leaving the ring Magahin faced prolonged hardship. Philippine sports writers reported drug problems, periods of unemployment, work as a mall parking attendant in Metro Manila, and later work as a taxi driver in Iloilo. In the mid-2000s he served time in Quezon City jail after a robbery case involving an FX taxi; after his release the Games and Amusement Board approved a small welfare grant and recognition among former national boxers. He was formerly married to Agnes Magahin. In the years before his death he was again based in Iloilo. Revero Santillan, a fellow former champion who ran a gym in Barangay Tacas, Jaro, said Magahin visited him five days before he died and spoke of needing more rest because he was driving a taxi.

In Western Visayas Magahin is remembered as The Black Mamba, a southpaw who brought a WBF welterweight world title home to Iloilo in 1995 and who stopped Rolando Navarette in a bout that closed that former champion's career. His story was also cited in Philippine sports pages as an example of how titled fighters can fall into poverty once purses end. GAB recognition and later welfare assistance acknowledged both his ring achievements and the difficulty of his post-boxing life. Vidal's 2026 farewell framed him as a Visayan champion whose best nights, especially the Malcolm title win in Iloilo, still matter to local fight history.