CHICAGO - If you think your Christmas wish was a big ask, wait till you hear the story of Marlon Tapales.
The Filipino lefty from Kapatagan, Lanao Del Norte only has one thing in mind for the holidays: beat fellow super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue.
It's Mission Doable but one layered with more traps than a golf course.
Nicknamed The Monster, Inoue is a murderous puncher with power in both hands. His record is 25-0 with 22 knockouts. Beating him on his home soil - The Ariake Arena in Tokyo - is like bearding a lion in its den.
Which explains why the oddsmakers installed the Japanese as the heavy minus -1800 favorite over the +850 underdog Tapales.
Which also doesn't mean Tapales, tried and tested in life and not just above the ring, can't pull off the upset.
While the edge in the power meter obviously goes to Inoue's 88 percent knockout rate, Tapales isn't physically overmatched. Both pugs are only separated by an inch in height and 2 1/2 inches in reach.
BOTH ARE IN THEIR PRIME. TAPALES IS 31. INOUE IS 30.
Tapales isn't just an invited guest in this Boxing Day card in Japan presented by ESPN; he is one of the featured attractions.
Tapales is staking his WBA and IBF titles for a chance to snatch Inoue's WBC and WBO diadems. This fight is for all the marbles in the junior featherweight class and he ain't there as a mere prop to another glorious Inoue coronation.
"We're hoping for a nightmare for The Monster," said MP president Sean Gibbons, the international matchmaker who helped make this blockbuster unification duel possible.
It's easy to buy what Gibbons is selling.
Tapale has the goods. He is a champion in two weight classes and his stunning victory over Murodjon Akhmadaliev in San Antonio, Texas this past April was the flashpoint that ignited this showdown.
After 15 years of toiling in a violent sport, after 40 fights that saw him bow thrice and knock out 19 victims, Marlon has finally arrived at the largest stage he could ever imagine.
FOUR BELTS ON THE LINE. ONE FOE TO CONQUER
It's not going to be easy, but if success is indeed a product of hard work intersecting with opportunity, we can all rest well in the knowledge that Tapales is ready for the challenge.
Gibbons has put him in the best position to win, providing Marlon all the tools he needs: A good camp, skilled trainers and spar mates, world-class training and nutrition.
The rest is now up to Tapales.
And that means putting up a strong defense, boxing wisely from a distance, and finding ways for his straight lefts to constantly hit the target.
Hardened by life's experiences and strengthened by his faith, Marlon Tapales is exactly the kind of fighter capable of beating the odds.
"Marlon's has put in the time, has put in the work, and has the skills to pay the bills. Hopefully things go our way against a really good opponent and champion like Inoue," Gibbons added.
Here's wishing Marlon Tapales the best.
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