Tapales pays hefty price for over-weight

MANILA, Philippines - Stripped of the WBO bantamweight title for scaling over the 118-pound limit, Marlon Tapales fought for pride and put on a gutsy performance in stopping Shohei Omori at 0:16 of the 11th round before 8,000 fans at the Edion Arena in Osaka last Sunday.

Tapales, 25, paid a hefty price for failing to make the weight. WBO supervisor Rolando Marcos Hermoso of Panama announced the dethronement after Tapales scaled 119.75 pounds on his first try and nearly two hours later, 119.93 on his second at the weigh-in in the Monterey Grasmere Hotel last Saturday. Tapales was also meted a fine of $15,000 or 10 percent of his $150,000 purse.

Under WBO rules, the title is declared vacant if a champion fails to make the weight for a defense. In the event the fight continues, the challenger will claim the crown if he wins but the throne will remain vacant if the stripped champion prevails. 

Tapales’ manager Rex (Wakee) Salud told The STAR on overseas telephone from Osaka right after the fight that purses wouldn’t have been paid if the fight was cancelled. The option to withdraw was considered as Tapales was visibly gaunt and totally dehydrated in trying to make the bantamweight limit.

“After the weigh-in, I brought Marlon to a restaurant but he vomited the food he ate,” said Salud. “He had a good sleep that night and the next morning, he was back to normal. He had some soup for breakfast then took a full lunch. We tried to buy dextrose but in Japan, it can only be administered in a hospital. We even called up Dr. Ed de la Vega in the US to ask for his advice since we know he administers dextrose through IV on fighters after weigh-ins.”

Salud said he will confer with Tapales on whether or not to move up in weight class. “I think Marlon’s body just got bigger,” he said. “That’s how it was with Manny (Pacquiao), too. Maybe, we’ll move up to superbantamweight. We’ll talk about it then decide what to do.” 

Salud said Tapales’ fight against Omori was a classic barn-burner. Tapales had a slow start as judges Levi Martinez and John Madfis had Omori ahead, 49-46, and judge David Singh, 48-47, also for the Japanese, at the end of five rounds. Tapales was nearly floored by a body shot in the fifth. But starting the sixth, Tapales took charge and began to hammer Omori with blistering combinations.

Late in the 10th, Tapales staggered Omori with a left uppercut to the jaw then decked him with an overhand right. Omori was saved by the bell and got up on rubbery legs. Early in the 11th, Tapales went for the kill and as Omori helplessly hung on, referee Celestino Ruiz waved it off. Tapales was ahead on the three judges’ scorecards, 95-94, at the time of the stoppage. Both fighters wore scars of battle in the end. Tapales was cut on the right eyebrow in the fourth and Omori suffered a gash in his left eyelid in the seventh. 

Since the title didn’t change hands and remained vacant, the WBO later declared interim champion Zolani Tete of South Africa as Tapales’ successor. Last Saturday, Tete scored a unanimous 12-round decision over Filipino Arthur Villanueva for the interim title in Leicester, United Kingdom.

Philboxing.com web editor Dong Secuya, who was in Osaka, said if Tapales decides to stay in the bantamweight division, he’ll recommend a fight against Tete. Secuya said he’ll also suggest for Tapales’ diet to be supervised by a nutritionist to monitor his weight.

“Marlon surely has a heart of a lion,” said Secuya. “He won’t give up easily. Omori has improved and moved well until Marlon’s sneaky counters finally caught up with him.” The win raised Tapales’ record to 30-2, with 13 KOs, while Omori’s slate dipped to 18-2, with 13 KOs. Omori’s other loss was also to Tapales on a second round knockout in their first meeting in Kyoto in 2015.

Salud said Tapales weighed 135 pounds for the fight and Omori, about 130. Omori scaled 117 1/2 at the weigh-in. Salud, Tapales and trainers Fernando Ocon and Brix Flores were scheduled to arrive in Cebu from Osaka last night.