WAKEE SALUD CLAIMS OFFER TO TAPALES FOR TITLE SHOT TOO LOW, WOULD PREFER GOING TO PURSE BID
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 17 Mar 2016
Well known boxing manager/promoter Rex ?Wakee? Salud claims the offer of the handlers of WBO bantamweight champion Pungluang Sor Singyu to mandatory challenger Marlon Tapales was ?too low? and he would prefer to go into a purse bid should the Thai promoter refuse to up the offer from $37,000 to at least $40,000.
Salud also told The Standard he would try to convince his longtime friend, eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao to bankroll the promotion should Salud win the purse bid and stage the title fight in the Philippines.
The 26 year old Pungluang Sor Singyu has a record of 52-3 with 35 knockouts and is coming off a 7th round technical decision victory over Filipino Jetro Pabustan in a one-sided title defense last February 12.
The promising 23 old Filipino Marlon Tapales earned the mandatory title shot with a spectacular 2nd round TKO victory over fancied unbeaten Japanese Shohei Omori in a WBO title eliminator at the Shimazu Arena in Kyoto, Japan on December 16, 2015 when referee Lou Moret called a halt at 1:35 of round two.
WBO fight supervisor and chairman of the Asia-Pacific region Leon Panoncillo told The Standard after Tapales had annihilated the very popular Omori that ?he felt the Japanese was overconfident and thought that Tapales was an average fighter when he is actually a very good fighter.?
Panoncillo described the title eliminator as ?a really good fight with Tapales putting on a very impressive performance? and is certain to give Pungluang Sor Singyu a great fight.?
He said referee Lou Moret stopped the bout at 1:35 of round two ?after Omori went down hard and was wobbling all over the ring? after being sent to the canvas three times in the opening round beginning with an overhand left followed by a couple of deadly right hands that silenced the fans who came to support the hometown boy.
Former two division world champion Gerry Penalosa who was in the corner of Tapales and helped out former boxer turned trainer Fernando Ocon who was making his debut as a trainer a successful one, provided a classic insight telling Tapales to throw a right hook which he did and sent the favored Japanese crashing to the canvas.
A small Filipino contingent led by manager ?Wakee? Salud, Penalosa and his wife Goody were jumping for joy as referee Moret stopped the one-sided bout and proclaimed Tapales the winner. In a battle of southpaws Tapales demonstrated his class and earned praise from the Japanese fans for his outstanding performance.
The 23 year old southpaw has a record of 28-2 with 11 knockouts dropped a somewhat questionable majority decision to Mexico?s David Sanchez on February 23, 2013 but since that loss racked up seven straight wins.
Pungluang Sor Singyu first won the vacant WBO title with a 9th round TKO over AJ ?Bazooka? Banal at the Mall of Asia Arena on October 20, 2012 before losing by a 7th round knockout to Japan?s Tomoki Kameda at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on July 12, 2014.
He regained the vacant WBO belt with a stunning 2nd round TKO victory over Japan?s Ryo Akaho at the Central Stadium in Ratchaburi, Thailand on August 7, 2015 when referee Robert Byrd stopped the bout as Akaho was taking a bad beating.
Photo: Salud (L) and Tapales.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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