TAPALES ENDS BAGUIO TRAINING, FLIES TO JAPAN FOR INOUE FIGHT

December 23, 2023 Community Billboard

Undisputed Super Bantamweight Champion

BAGUIO CITY

Marlon Tapales ended his one month training here last Saturday before leaving for Tokyo, Japan for his unification bout against the “Monster” Naoya Inoue. Tapales arrived middle of November to set up his five week training camp at the Shape Up gym where former world champion Manny
Pacquiao used to train. Tapales sparred with boxers from the Highland Gym of Brico Santig and earlier with fellow super bantamweight prospect Carl Jammes Martin, who last week joined him under the MP Promotions, with the 24 year old signing up with said promotions owned by the boxer turned senator.

The southpaw brawler is aiming to make history as the first Filipino undisputed world champion when he faces the undefeated Inoue on December 26. Inoue holds the other half of the titles – the WBC and WBO straps. No Filipino boxer has held the distinction of being the undisputed world champion, by holding all the four lineal belts at the same time. “I am ready to face Inoue,” said Tapales, who also got sound advice from the Filipino Flash, Nonito Donaire, who lost to the Japanese twice.

Tapales claimed the IBF and WBA belts in April 8 when he defeated erstwhile champion Murdjon Akhmadaliev at the Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas, United States. Two judges saw it 115- 113 to either Tapales or the former champion, while a third judge gave it to Tapales, 118-
110. Inoue, meanwhile, stopped Stephen Fulton last July 25 to claim the WBC and WBO straps.

Pigeon Lobien/ABN

Photo by FB Page Marlon Tapales