Marcial, Thai foe ready for war

title topbilling the historic double championship card billed as “Talisay Fight Night” tomorrow at the Talisay City Sports and Cultural Complex.

“I can’t say if I’m going to knock him out. Maybe it will happen,” said Marcial in Tagalog during yesterday’s press conference at the Golden Gisangag Express along Andres Abellana Street in Brgy. Capitol Site, this city. “Let’s just see what happens in the ring,” countered the Thai’s interpreter/trainer.

Marcial is actually a replacement for reigning champion Ciso “Kid Terrible” Morales, who was forced to withdraw from the fight after injuring his right hand while training. But Marcial is optimistic his being a last-minute sub won’t affect his performance.

“I think it won’t affect my performance because I’ve been training religiously,” said Marcial, who brandishes a frightening record of eight knockouts - five in the first round - of his immaculate 9-0 slate. Curiously, all of his opponents did not last five rounds.

The 20-year-old Rajanondh, on the other hand, sports a 17-8 win-loss record dotted with 4KOs. He, however, was stopped in round three by Indonesian Daud Cino Yordan in his previous fight last June 16 at the Indosiar Studio in Jakarta, Indonesia.

In the other feature of the twin title bouts spearheaded by noted international promoter Sammy Gello-ani of SGG Sports Promotions in partnership with Golden Dream Promotions, Viva Sports, Tanduay, Omega and the Talisay City Amateur Boxing Association (TACABA) under the flagship of Resty Seville, Jonreil Casimiro of the Omega Boxing Gym will clash with Thailand’s Liempetch Sor Veerapol for the vacant WBO Asia Pacific junior flyweight crown.

Casimiro parades a clean 10-0 record, with half of his wins via stoppage, while Veerapol totes a 10-3 win-loss card with 7KOs.

The rest of the matches pit Rey Labao of the Las Vegas-based Dante Ortiz Stable vs. Darryl Pucdol of Rex “Wakee” Salud Stable, South Korean flyweight prospect Jonghwa Lee (7-0-1, 1KO) of SGG Stable vs. Erwin Pulvera, junior flyweight Jheter Oliva of General Santos City vs. Jerome Buntog, and super bantamweight Richie Abapo of Talisay City against Brian Inihaw.

Showtime begins at 7 pm but the gate will be opened two hours earlier for the amateur bouts. Tickets are priced at P200. Proceeds of the slambang event will be donated to Sta. Teresa de Avila Parish.

Gello-ani has extended his profound gratitude to WBO Vice President for Asia-Pacific Leon Panoncillo and the officers of TACABA for helping him out in putting up the card, which is by far the biggest promotion in the rich history of Talisay boxing.

Aside from Seville, the rest of the TACABA officers are Teddy Alivio (VP Internal), Osmundo Manreal, Jr. (VP External), Val Ylanan (treasurer), Raul Cabañero (auditor), and Charles Basillote and Jo Florence Bas (PROs). Seville, Alivio, Basillote, Ylanan, and Edwin Emerlan are also the men behind the Golden Dream Promotions, which aims to produce Cebuano ring stars in the future. - THE FREEMAN