LAS VEGAS – Olympic bronze medal winner Eumir Marcial is easily blown away with how Manny Pacquiao trains for his coming world title fight against welterweight champion Mario Barrios.
Marcial admitted admiring the Pacman at work as they train together in the same ring on Tuesday at the Knucklehead boxing gym owned by MP Promotions president Sean Gibbons.
“Kahit sa age na 46, ang ipinapakita sa akin ni Sir Manny parang 26 years old lang, e,” said Marcial, who confessed being inspired by Pacquiao to take up boxing.
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“Grabe yung mitts. Even ako sinusubukan ko sabayan yung speed at power. Ang hirap gawin,” added the 29-year-old middleweight from Zamboanga. “Naturally na talaga kay sir Manny yun.”
Unlike his boxing idol, Marcial said he doesn’t see himself still fighting in the ring by the time he reached 46.
READ Pacquiao looking to step up pace against slow-starter Barrios
Only a generational talent like Pacquiao can do it.
“Ang hirap isipin na at age 46 lalaban ka pa rin against a young champion in his prime. Ang hirap nun. Kaya masasabi natin nag-iisa lang si sir Manny,” said Marcial, adding how amazed he is seeing Pacquiao winning a record eight world division title starting from flyweight to junior middleweight.
“Hindi ko ma-imagine for a boxer kung paano niya (Pacquiao) nagawa yun.”
Marcial, a two-time Olympian who won the bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games, is fighting in the undercard of the Pacquiao-Barrios match for the World Boxing Council 147lbs crown.
He will be facing a new foe in Bernard Joseph, a 5-foot-9 middleweight from Massachusetts who sports a 15-2 record with 5 KOs.
Marcial said he’s unfazed with the sudden change of opponent less than two weeks before he climbs the ring for the first time in more than a year.
The Filipino was initially set to meet Alexis Gaytan.
“Hindi ko naman ina-underestimate yung kalaban ko,” he said. “Mas malaki yung experience ng makakalaban ko.”
“Pero always ko namang sinasabi kahit sino yung kalaban ko, dapat ready ako especially sa boxing kasi one punch lang, puwedeng magbago yung laban.”
Marcial carries an unbeaten 5-0 record with 3 KOs.
His last fight came in March 2024 when he scored a fourth-round stoppage of Thai Thoedsak Sinam at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in the weeks leading up to the Paris Olympics.
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