TAPALES ROAD TO REDEMPTION
By Tonton Alcos-Antogop
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 06 Sep 2018
CEBU CITY- Marlon Tapales is not taking lightly his comeback fight.
His promoter, Gerry Pe?alosa, said so for his upcoming Philippines vs Tanzania promotion set this September 30 at the Skydome of SM City North EDSA featuring the former World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight champion, a rising boxing star from Gensan and his two nephews.
"He (Tapales) is not taking it lightly. He badly needs to win for him to be back in the rankings. This one will be his sort of redemption," Pe?alosa told this boxing scribe in Cebuano in a phone interview.
Tapales, 26, was in the spotlight way back but he lost his WBO belt last April 23, 2017 on the scales for failing the weight limit in a rematch with Shoei Omori in Osaka, Japan despite winning the fight via an 11-round TKO.
He has been on hiatus since then thus not making it anymore on the world ranking list.
According to Pe?alosa, Tapales (30-2, 13 KOs), is working hard for the fight as he, along with the manager of the former world boxing champ, Rex "Wakee" Salud, is gearing Tapales to an interim world belt at junior featherweight.
Pe?alosa explained that going up in weight is the most logical step for Tapales as staying in the bantamweight category weight limit (118 lbs) has been a problem for the former world boxing champ. Junior featherweights fights at 122 lbs.
According to Pe?alosa, Tapales will go up on the ring opposite Tanzanian boxer Goodluck Mrema.
Meanwhile, Reymart Gaballo, the interim World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight king will square-off in a non-title ten rounder versus Julias Kirasawe (26-6-1, 15KOs).
Gaballo (19-0, 16 KOs) of Polomolok, South Cotabato fights off from Sanman boxing stable of businessman Jim Claude Mananquil of General Santos City.
The Gensan prizefighter captured the WBA interim belt after an impressive win against Stephon Young of the USA at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida last March.
The nephews of Pe?alosa, Carlo and Dave, will also face Tanzanian fighters.
Carlo (12-1, 5 KOs) will box with James Kibazange for the vacant WBA Asia South flyweight belt.
Dave (13-0, 9 KOs) will trade punches with Twalib Tuwa in a 10 round bout.
The Pe?alosas are presently training in Qingdao, China alongside their coach, Jonathan Pe?alosa, their uncle, also the elder brother of Gerry, the CEO of Gerry Pens Promotions, Inc.
The Pe?alosas carved a name in boxing. Gerry was a former two-time world boxing champion while the father of Dave, Dodie Boy, used to held the IBF light flyweight and flyweight belts. Their father, Carl Penalosa, was a former Philippine boxing champion.
Photo: Marlon Tapales (2nd from left) after his win in Japan against Shoei Omori in April, 2017, the last time he saw action in the ring. Also in the photo are (L-R): Tapales' manager Rex 'Wakee' Salud, Gerry Pe?alosa and former world champion Malcolm Tu?acao.
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