Tapales faces resurgent Mexican knockout artist on the undercard of Ambunda-Kameda WBO championship bout

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu-based Mindanao brawler Marlon Tapales gets another big break in his career as he vies for the World Boxing Organization Asia-Pacific bantamweight title on the undercard of the WBO bantamweight championship between defending champion Paulus Ambunda (20-0, 10KOs) of Namibia and Japanese challenger Tomoki Kameda (27-0, 18KOs) on August 1 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.

It would be another uphill battle though for ther 21-year-old Tapales (22-2, 9KOs) as he is set to battle Edgar "Chololo" Martinez (15-7, 9KOs), a resurgent Mexican knockout artist who won all his four fights last year via stoppage.    

"It's going to be a great match-up and a tough test for Tapales because he's going up against a fired-up Mexican who won all his four fights last year by knockout," said Jun Ablaca, local coordinator of the highly-anticipated  event co-presented by RWS Promotions International of Cebuano topnotch promoter Rex "Wakee" Salud and Kameda Boxing Promotions of Japan.

Martinez may have seven defeats already, but it hardly matters as he suffered it at the hands to marquee fighters including former interim WBA minimumweight champion Sammy Gutierrez and Ivan Morales, younger brother of Mexican ring legend and future Hall of Famer Erik "El Terible" Morales.

"His (Martinez) ring credential speaks for itself. He fought, although for a losing cause, against great fighters. That makes him a difficult challenge for Tapales," said Ablaca.

Tapales himself has his own share of failures, losing in his bid for the interim WBC Silver super flyweight belt by majority decision to David Sanchez last February 23 at the Gimnasio del Estado in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. That controversial defeat put an end to Tapales' three-year, 13-fight winning streak.

Tapales, however, quickly put that heart-breaking loss behind him by scoring a a spetacular fourth-round TKO of Indonesian Robert Manakane in his ring return just a month ago at the Sangyo Hall in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan.

"His upcoming bout against Martinez will determine if Tapales is ready enough for the bigger stage," said Ablaca.

Meanwhile, the main event features an exciting showdown between two undefeated warriors in Ambunda and Kameda.

Ambunda will make the first defense of the WBO 118-pound crown he seized with a unanimous decision victory over former Thai champ Pungluang Sor Singyo last March 2 at the Windhoek Country Club Resort in Windhoek, Namibia.        Sor Singyo is best remembered by Pinoy fans as the boxer who defeated ALA Gym boxer AJ ‘Bazooka’ Banal in their world title match on October 20 last time at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Ambunda, this time, will face a tough Japanese warrior in Kameda, the youngest of the famous Kameda brothers of Japan.

Tomoki, who holds the WBC silver bantamweight belt, vows to claim his first world title following in the steps of his elder brother Koki, the current WBA bantamweight titlist. (FREEMAN)