Manny Pacquiao and Eumir Marcial Strokes of Luck or Natural Freaks?
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 21 Jul 2020
Marcial.
It has been some 80 years since the Philippines first and last produced a world class big man in boxing in the person of Cipriano aka Ceferino Garcia who went on to reign as middleweight champion in the prewar.
Strangely, that came at a time when Filipino fighters had first gained global prominence in the then lightest weight class--flyweight---through the illustrious trio of Francisco Guilledo, Benjamin Gan and Eleuterio Zapanta better known respectively as Pancho Villa, Small Montana and Little Dado.
Since that period until near the end of the first decade of the new millennium, the country was able to produce many more world champions, mostly in the flyweights and the junior lightweights but the highest division that Filipinos had been able to conquer was the junior welterweight.
That was until Manny Pacquiao won the WBO world championship in the welterweight class in 2009 by beating Miguel Cotto. Which he followed up with his winning the vacant WBC junior middleweight title in 2010 over Antonio Margarito. That's the highest division a Filipino fighter was able to win a world title at since Ceferino Garcia.
What's amazing is that it took a fighter as Pacquiao who actually started his boxing career at light flyweight to accomplish, falling just a division below Garcia in winning a record eight world championships in as many weight classes.
Now comes Eumir Felix Marcial, who like Manny started out in the flyweights and now is fighting at middleweights in the amateurs, hoping to win an Olympic medal next year in Tokyo and later a world title in the pros.
Marcial has recently signed up with Manny's MP Promotion to handle his pro career even as he keeps an eye on a 2021 Tokyo Olympics medal finish in the middleweight class.
Truth is, even as an amateur, Marcial has already achieved some sort of historic record as the first Pinoy to win high honors in middleweight boxing, finishing with a silver medal in the 2019 World Championship and winning the gold in the recent Olympics qualifier in Jordan.
Like Manny, he is a high achiever in various weight classes, winning his first gold in the 2011 World Youth as a flyweight and collecting medals of various colors as he went up in weights, including consecutive golds in the SEA Games first as welterweight and later as middleweight.
Personally, I think if Marcial succeeds with an Olympic medal finish in Tokyo, his professional stint whatever it leads or leaves him will be almost anti climactic.
After all, not even an Olympic gold can assure a fruitful world championship quest or reign in the pros. Ask Ryota Murata who has to content himself with a consolation secondary world belt at middleweight after topping the London Olympics in 2012 and fighting as pro for seven years and counting.
But of course, it will be much, much better if Marcial would also have an equally successful career as a pro in the middleweight division as that would be a confirmation that Ceferino Garcia was not a rare stroke of luck and that Filipinos can also not only compete well but even excel above the welterweights.
Manny has proven that despite lacking the size which the 5-8 well built Eumir does not lack, albeit in a division where near six footers abound.
But does that mean Manny and Eumir, having scaled the weights all the way from flyweights to the middleweights are strokes of luck, natural freaks or aberrations in Philippine boxing?
Or there are really Filipinos who are endowed with size and possessed of the natural capability to fight in the higher weights comparable to Caucasians and those of African descents that are just awaiting discovery for proper nurturing and development?
That we are yet to find out starting with Eumir Felix Marcial.
ABAP scouts saw something special years back in Eumir that Shelly Finkel also saw for some time that triggered his interest in him.
Could Eumir and Manny be the templates of what to look for in our future search of fighters in the higher divisions both for the amateur and the pros?
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Round 12 with Mauricio Sulaimán: The Return of Ryan Garcia
By Mauricio Sulaimán, Wed, 25 Feb 2026“It’s moments a kid dreams off.” Sam Rennie returns for title challenge March 13 in Perth – Thunderdome 53
Wed, 25 Feb 2026‘It’s going to be a great fight and most importantly looking forward to the 10 pints together after it’ Billy Quinncroft challenges for Cruiserweight title March 13 in Perth – Thunderdome 53
Wed, 25 Feb 2026Magdalena Contreras Municipality and WBC start "Boxing for Peace" in Mexico
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Wed, 25 Feb 2026United States Captures Four More Wins on Day Two of Strandja 2026 Boxing Tournament
Wed, 25 Feb 2026Date set for Manny-Money 2
By Joaquin Henson, Wed, 25 Feb 2026Knockout Artist Sugar Martinez (17-0, 17 KOs) Makes His US Debut Against Philly Veteran Daiyan Butt
Wed, 25 Feb 2026IM Yap outwits GM Gareyev, shares lead; Maribao split the point with GM Quizon in Round 3 of the Manny Pacquiao International Open chess
By Marlon Bernardino, Wed, 25 Feb 20262 Division World Champion José Luis Castillo Confirmed for Ninth Annual Box Fan Expo, During Cinco De Mayo Weekend, Saturday May 2, in Las Vegas
Wed, 25 Feb 2026Doors open for Manny
By Joaquin Henson, Tue, 24 Feb 2026MEXICAN TITANS GO HEAD-TO-HEAD HIGHLIGHTING CINCO DE MAYO WEEKEND IN LAS VEGAS!
Tue, 24 Feb 2026Alex Bray and Gabriela Tellez Capture WBA Titles, Dainier Pero Scores Impressive Stoppage at “Night of Champions XIV” in Orlando
Tue, 24 Feb 2026Cebuana Lhuillier Gems Officially Join Inaugural Pickle Yard Conference League
By Marlon Bernardino, Tue, 24 Feb 2026ADAMES AND AMMO CLASH FOR WORLD TITLE IN ORLANDO ON MARCH 21
Tue, 24 Feb 2026Filipino Alexis Emil Maribao shocks Indonesian Grandmaster Susanto Megaranto in the Manny Pacquiao International Open Chess opener
By Marlon Bernardino, Tue, 24 Feb 2026