ALL eyes will be on Eumir Marcial – including those of the Philippine boxing team and the entire delegation in Aichi-Nagoya – as he resumes his pro career on Sunday (Manila time) after almost a year of inactivity.
The 30-year-old Olympian takes on American Omar Ulises Huerta in an eight-round middleweight bout whose outcome would have a huge say on the country’s campaign at the 20th Asian Games.
READ 'Stressful' time for Asiad team as Eumir Marcial fights in the US
More than winning the fight at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California, Marcial needs to be fresh and fit to fight again in a few days’ time in the quadrennial showcase that opened on Saturday night.
The Filipino Olympic bronze medalist in the Tokyo Olympic is entered as the country’s entry in the men’s 80kg class where he won a silver medal in the 2022 Hangzhou edition of the Asiad.
A loss would be costly for the unbeaten middleweight fighter, who needs to win the fight quick and decisively.
In Saturday’s weigh-in, Marcial came in the heavier fighter at 160.6lbs, while Huerta, a 30-year-old southpaw like the Filipino, weighed in at 159lbs.
Marcial carries a perfect 7-0 record with 4 KOs, but climbs the ring as a pro for the first time since hacking out a majority decision against Eddy Colmenares in the undercard of the Thrilla in Manila 50th anniversary celebration last year.
He did see action for the Philippine team though, in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand where he won his fifth gold medal in the meet.
Huerta on the other hand has a record of 15-1-1 with 13 KOs.
The American fought once early this year where he suffered the first loss of his pro career - a 10-round unanimous decision against Vito Mielnicki Jr.
Marcial said the focus is on his fight with Huerta and then he’ll take it from there if he’ll be able to join the rest of the national team in the Aichi Prefecture or not.
If ever he makes it to the Asiad, Marcial’s first fight is slated for Sept. 23
But while Marcial remains hopeful of returning to the Asiad for the third straight time, the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) appears skeptical about Eumir’s fighting timeline.
“Mahirap umasa. Very stressful umasa,” said ABAP president Marcus Jarwin Manalo from Nagoya. “I think Malabo na. Mabigat din ang kalaban niya. If he wins, ano ang condition niya? Kung makahabol siya, may jetlag pa siyang haharapin.”
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