TAPALES SEALS SHOWDOWN VS PUNGLUANG
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 17 Dec 2015
Marlon Tapales? stunning second round TKO win over Shohei Omori of Japan in their WBO bantamweight eliminator held in Kyoto made the Lanao del Norte fighter the mandatory challenger for the World Boxing Organization world title currently held by Pungluang Sor Singyu of Thailand.
The southpaw Tapales, known more for his counterpunching, was the aggressor and used overhand lefts and right hooks to inflict damage in the opening round. After scoring multiple knockdowns and a quick victory within his grasp, Tapales did not let go of his advantage and continued to stalk the Japanese in the second. After another knockdown, the Filipinos erupted in celebration.
Promoter Rex ?Wakee? Salud, trainer Fernando Ocon and former two division world champ Gerry Pe?alosa were among those seen basking in Tapales? victory.
The 23 year old Tapales is now 28W-2L,11KO?s. The 22 year old Omori (15-1,10KO?s), also a southpaw, suffered his first loss as a pro.
It was also an astonishing debut for Fernando Ocon as a trainer. Near the end of October, I visited Tapales? training camp at the Rex ?Wakee? Salud gym here in Cebu City.
Ocon?s presence as the trainer took me by surprise. But he was very relaxed and took time to exchange pleasantries with this writer while he was pushing Tapales in his afternoon drills.
Ocon (13W-10L-1D,5KO?s) even joked about his retirement and plan for a comeback. He is only 25 years old but was 3L-1D in his last four fights.
But the end result revealed they were actually serious and knew what they were doing. In a message on his favorite social networking site, Ocon told this writer that their game plan worked perfectly as planned.
I first saw Tapales up close in 2010, when he won the Philippine light flyweight title against Warlito Parrenas by TKO in the 7th round. That fight was held in Tubod, Lanao del Norte.
I was wondering at that time why ?Wakee? Salud wanted me to see his boxer. Was he really that good?
After a few rounds, I began to marvel at his head movement and counterpunching; I said to myself, ?This guy fights like a young Gerry Pe?alosa?.
So by fate or by design, Pe?alosa was there at ringside in Japan when Tapales notched his biggest career victory so far.
Pe?alosa also captured his first world title in Japan, a split decision against Hiroshi Kawashima in Tokyo in 1997.
Pungluang will be a bigger problem for Tapales. The Thai is known to Filipino fight fans because of his shocking 9th round TKO win over AJ Banal at the MOA Arena in 2012. He would lose the WBO bantamweight belt in his first defense in Namibia but he regained it last August by knocking out Japanese Ryo Akaho in two rounds in a fight held in Thailand.
Pungluang (51-3, 35KO?s) has also beaten many Filipino boxers like Monico Laurente, Eden Sonsona and Romnick Magos.
Tapales has won seven straight since suffering his second career loss against David Sanchez of Mexico by majority decision two years ago.
The one guy who could act as spoiler in this match-up is another Filipino, Jetro Pabustan, who is penned is face Pungluang this January in Thailand. An upset by Pabustan (26-2-6,7KO?s) would be huge. But a Tapales challenge against the Thai would be more enticing.
Photo: Tapales' hands were raised in victory by Referee Lou Moret and WBO's Leon Panoncillo Jr (R) as Tapales's manager Rex 'Wakee' Salud (L) looks on Wednesday in Kyoto, Japan.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..
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