TAPALES: ?I'M MOVING UP IN WEIGHT? (PHOTOS)
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 24 Apr 2017
OSAKA, Japan ? ?Dili na gyud madala. Saka na gyud ta.? (Can't make it anymore. We'll have to move up.)
This was Tapales's verdict after his dramatic 11th round technical knockout victory over Japanese contender Shohei Omori Saturday night at the Edion Arena here. Tapales, who was supposed to defend his WBO world bantamweight title for the first time against Omori, was instead stripped of his belt after failing to make weight last Saturday and will go back home today empty handed although having the consolation of at least not going down in defeat against his determined rival.
?I was already waking at 147 lbs before I started training for this fight so I had to lose 30 lbs coming here,? said Tapales who arrived here Monday still 10 lbs overweight. ?My body has really grown up big.?
Tapales also had a hard time making weight during his title bout against Pungluang Sor Singyu last July in Thailand. Tapales's title has now been reportedly awarded to Zolani Tete of South Africa after Tete defeated Filipino number one contender Arthur Villanueva Saturday night in the UK.
Tapales, who has been deducted 10% of his purse for failing to make weight, was totally dehydrated Saturday and did not completely recover when he climbed the ring Sunday night.
?I felt too heavy. I saw my punches traveled a long time to hit its target,? said the Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte native who was seen swinging his arms in circular motion several times during the contest. ?But I just had to let my hands go. Luckily I tagged him with my left uppercut.?
No belt but Tapales gets a trophy for his win.
Tapales being interviewed by the Japanese media after his win over Omori.
Tapales comes at Omori before the Japanese crashes to the canvas.
Omori hits the canvas.
Referee Celestino Ruiz prevents Omori from taking further punishment by stopping the contest in the 11th round.
Champions All (L-R): Rex Salud, Tapales, Gerry Penalosa and Malcolm Tunacao. Penalosa and Tunacao were also previously managed by Salud when they became world champions.
Tapales's manager Rex 'Wakee' Salud is now looking to position Tapales against the champions of the super bantamweight division.
?We'd like to fight [Cesar] Juarez. Marlon likes that fight. But Juarez is now the mandatory challenger to [WBO super banatamweight champion Jessie] Magdaleno. We'll see if we can fight the winner of that fight,? said Salud. ?I would also like Marlon to fight [WBA world champion Guillermo] Rigondeaux or the WBC champion [Rey Vargas].?
Tapales however has not been rated in the top 15 in the bantamweight or the super bantamweight divisions by the world boxing bodies except by the WBO so it would probably take some time for him to challenge the other world champions.
Tapales and his entourage will fly back to Cebu from Osaka this afternoon via Philippine Airlines.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dong Secuya.
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