LAS VEGAS - Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino expressed his all-out support to hall of famer Manny Pacquiao and the two other Filipino boxers who will be fighting here on Saturday (Sunday in Philippines) at the MGM Grand Garden.
Tolentino together with POC Secretary-General Atty. Wharton Chan also visited the Knuckleheads gym owns by international matchmaker Sean Gibbons, also Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions president, on Thursday (Friday in Philippines) to meet the Filipino boxers there.
READ: Gibbons says returning Pacquiao 'bigger than anybody in boxing'
“We are very thankful to Sean [Gibbons] and Manny Pacquiao for taking care of our Filipino boxers who fight for the pride of our country,” Tolentino said. “We may collaborate in the future for a potential representation in the Los Angeles Summer Olympics in 2028.”
“But we will ask permission first to Sean Gibbons if we find some potential talents from their promotions since professional boxing is allowed in the Olympics.”
Aside from Marcial, other boxers staying in Vegas are former super-flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas and trainer Jerwin Ancajas, ex-world title challengers Vincent Astrolabio and Jonas Sultan, rising super-bantamweight Carl James Martin, and middleweight prospect Weljon Mindoro.
Marcial, undefeated in five pro fights with three knockouts, will be seeing action in the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Mario Barrios World Boxing Council middleweight title bout.
He battles American Bernard Joseph in an eight-rounder.
Former world champion Mark Magsayo is also in the undercard where he meets Mexican Jorge Mata Cuellar in a 10-round match.
“We are praying that Pacquiao, Marcial and (Mark) Magsayo will win and be safe in their respective fights. We will be watching them live to show our support,” Tolentino added. “Sean’s son Parker also welcomed us there. They are incredibly happy to see us.”
“We brought them some box of sardines from Zamboanga City. It was good to see them,” he said.
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