Eumir faces Viet ‘suki’
By Joaquin Henson
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 27 Sep 2023
One down, four to go. That’s the countdown for lightheavyweight boxer Eumir Marcial in chasing gold in the 80kg division of the Hangzhou Asian Games. Last Sunday, Marcial opened his Asiad campaign with a bang, outpointing Mongolia’s Dalai Gonzorig, 5-0. It will take four more wins for Marcial to clinch a ticket to the Paris Olympics. His next opponent is Vietnam’s Nguyen Manh Cuong on Friday.
Nguyen is a familiar foe. Twice, they battled in the SEA Games and twice, Marcial emerged victorious. In the 75kg quarterfinals of the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games, Marcial pounded out a 5-0 verdict over Nguyen. They met again in the 75kg final of the 2019 Manila SEA Games and this time, Marcial scored a first round knockout. Nguyen took a standing eight-count then was decked as Marcial finished him off with a flourish. A win on Friday will take Marcial to the quarterfinals on Oct. 1. The semifinals are scheduled on Oct. 4 and the final on Oct. 5. Expected to crowd Marcial in the race to the top are Uzbekistan’s Turabek Khabibullaev, Kazakhstan's Nurbek Oralbay and China’s Tanglatihan Tuohetaerbieke.
Marcial, 27, was set to face undefeated Antonio Woods in an eight-round pro bout in Las Vegas but when it was cancelled, the call to fight in the Asian Games----an Olympic boxing qualifier----came. “It’s a short period between Olympics, only three years and we made a team decision----Sen. Manny Pacquiao, Eumir, Princess, myself----that it would be a tremendous thing to go to the Asian Games and not to have any regrets in life that he could’ve, should’ve if he didn’t try to qualify for Paris,” said MP Promotions head Sean Gibbons. “You never want to regret what you could’ve done so we made the right decision.”
Action in Hangzhou boxing picks up today as heavyweight John Marvin takes on Nepal’s Nepal Rabin. Tomorrow, it’s lightmiddleweight Marjon Pianar’s turn to rumble as he meets Uzbekistan’s Asadkhuja Muydinkhujae. On Friday, featherweight Nesthy Petecio enters the ring to face Chinese-Taipei’s Lin Yu Ting and Marcial tangles with Nguyen in their third head-to-head clash.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
MANNY PACQUIAO PROMOTIONS PRESENTS “COUNTDOWN TO THRILLA IN MANILA” AND “THRILLA IN MANILA 50”
Fri, 17 Oct 2025Rafael Espinoza-Arnold Khegai Featherweight World Title Showdown Set for Nov. 15 in San Luis Potosí, Mexico
Fri, 17 Oct 2025Irish welterweight contender Paddy Donovan Positioned for another World title shot
Fri, 17 Oct 2025DAY ONE: TEAM ASIA LAUNCHES TITLE DEFENCE WITH DOMINANT WHITEWASH AS AJ ‘STARBOY’ MANAS SHINES
Fri, 17 Oct 2025CONNOR MITCHELL SIGNS FOR MATCHROOM BOXING AND DREAMS OF SURPASSING HIS LEGENDARY FATHER
Fri, 17 Oct 2025CONWAY-LIDDARD YORK HALL WEIGH-IN RESULTS
Thu, 16 Oct 2025PR Run - Break Your Record on Oct. 19
By Lito delos Reyes, Thu, 16 Oct 2025PIONEERING FILIPINO BOXERS TAKE THE SPOTLIGHT ON FIL-AM HISTORY MONTH (PART I)
By Dong Secuya, Thu, 16 Oct 2025BOXING HALL OF FAME RELEASES FALL 2025 LETTER OF APPEAL SEEKING FUNDRAISING SUPPORT
Thu, 16 Oct 2025Mendoza bags bronze
By Marlon Bernardino, Thu, 16 Oct 2025THRILLA IN MANILA GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 20: MUHAMMAD ALI VS. JOE FRAZIER III ON OCTOBER 1, 1975 AT THE ARANETA COLISEUM
By Maloney L. Samaco, Thu, 16 Oct 2025Round 12 with Mauricio Sulaimán: History of Boxing in Reynosa, Tamaulipas
By Mauricio Sulaimán, Thu, 16 Oct 2025YORK HALL PRESS CONFERENCE: EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID AS CONWAY AND LIDDARD GET SET FOR HUGE DOMESTIC CLASH
Wed, 15 Oct 2025Unbeaten Super Featherweight Contender Andres Cortes Set for Return on October 18 Against Derlyn Hernandez-Geraldo in Long Beach
Wed, 15 Oct 2025JOEL “LETHAL” LEWIS RETURNS NOV 28TH THUNDERDOME 52 – METRO CITY PERTH
Wed, 15 Oct 2025