YOKOHAMA, Japan – Marlon Tapales is cool, calm, and collected on the eve of his dream match.
The reigning WBA and IBF super-bantamweight champion spent Christmas Day inside his suite at the Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel and kept his focus on undefeated Japanese champion Naoya Inoue in boxing’s yearend big bang for 2023.
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Except for his brief appearance in Monday afternoon’s weigh-in, there were no more sightings of Tapales within the hotel premises and anywhere in the vicinity.
His manager JC Mananquil of Sanman Promotions said it was decided that the 31-year-old Filipino just stay in his room and wait for fight day.
“Nag-relax lang (sa suite lang). Kuha naman ang timbang,” said Mananquil. “Ngayon resting na ulit after kumain.”
Mananquil recalled how loose Tapales is going to his undisputed super-bantamweight title match against the heavily-favored Inoue – holder of the WBC and WBO belts.
“Tinanong niya (Tapales) ako ano ang iniisip mo? Bakit ang tahimik mo? Kinakabahan ka ano?" Mananquil recalled the conversation he had with his fighter.
Mananquil said he was only concerned about Tapales, who nonetheless assured him that everything will be all right come the biggest battle of his career.
“Sabi niya (Tapales) huwag kang matakot," Mananquil recalled the champion telling him while tapping him lightly in his leg. "Sabi niya relax lang. Ako nga hindi natatakot, e. Excited nga ako."
While he’s not afraid of the Japanese ‘Monster,’ who’s 25 and 0 (with 22 KOs), the Filipino said he respects Inoue as a fighter.
Monster task
“Gagawin ko ang lahat para malampasan ko si Inoue na pound-for-pound (fighter). Di basta-bastang boxer,” he said. “Kailangan maipakita ko sa kanila na magaling din ako.”
Tapales, who holds a 37-3 record (19 KOs), is ready to shock the world as he’s a 7-1 underdog against the hometown hero.
“Sa lahat ng dayo ko, underdog ako. Wala naman akong pakialam sa odds-odds na yan kasi alam ko sa sarili ko yung preparasyon at training ko,” he said.
“Kumpiyansa ako sa sarili ko, buung-buo."
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