Tapales begins paving path to third weight crown
Marlon Tapales, who has won championships in two divisions, made weight on Saturday, bringing him closer to the world title conversation.
Tapales weighed in at 121.2 pounds, while his Indonesian foe Jon Jon Jet slightly heavier at 121.4 ahead of their 10-round clash for the World Boxing Council’s (WBC) International Super Bantamweight Silver title at Venue 88 in General Santos City, the Filipino fighter’s old stomping grounds.
“I’m happy that I’m able to fight again—this time in GenSan,” Tapales told the Inquirer in Filipino. “It’s been a while since I fought here, which makes me even more motivated to win.”
With a 39-4 pro record and 20 knockouts to show, Tapales is maintaining a lofty billing in three international boxing bodies. He is currently rated No. 2 by the WBC, No. 3 by the International Boxing Federation and No. 5 by the World Boxing Association.
Relative danger
A victory on Sunday should help Tapales, who lost to the prolific Naoya Inoue last year, preserve his high ratings while keeping him relevant in the ever-shifting landscape of the sport.
“We are keeping Marlon ready so that when an opportunity comes and he is given a world title shot, he’d be free of rust,” said Sanman Boxing’s JC Manangquil. “And hopefully, we get that shot this year.”
Tapales’ assignment, whose real name is Yohanis Mau Fatin, poses relative danger as he is entering the clash with quite the momentum after stringing up five straight victories.
But the southpaw from Lanao del Norte is teeming with self-assurance.
“I am very confident, but I’m also not one to underestimate anybody,” said Tapales. “The plan is to stay active, and hopefully this leads to a title shot by the end of the year.”
“I still dream of becoming a three-division world champion, so this is doing extra work and training,” he added.
Sharing the main event spotlight is another Filipino, Joey Canoy, who tackles Minh Phat Sam of Vietnam in another 10-rounder for the WBC International Minimumweight crown.
