On Pacquiao’s birthday, Marcial takes first step in quest for pro, Olympic glory

CEBU, Philippines —  When Olympics-bound Filipino boxer Felix Eumir Marcial first walked through the door of his Wild Card Gym two months ago, Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach had a flashback of the young Manny Pacquiao in him.

Like Marcial, Pacquiao was a nondescript fighter when he entered the halls of Roach’s famed sweat shop in Los Angeles back in 2001.

But Pacquiao took boxing by storm and went on to become one of the greatest ring gladiators in history.

He may not be able to match the brilliance of his legendary idol but that is the kind of direction Marcial wants to take in his quest to make a name for himself.

And what a coincidence.

The 24-year-old Marcial will see action for the first time as a pro on Pacquiao’s birthday.

For sure, that will be an added motivation for Marcial to make an impression in his baptism of fire in the pro ranks against the power-punching Andrew Whitfield (3-1, 2KOs) of Idaho, in a four-round middleweight bout on December 16 (December 17 Phl time) at the Microsoft Theatre in LA.

Pacquiao, who will turn 42 years old on that very same day, wishes Marcial the best of luck as he embarks on a new chapter of his fistic career.

“On behalf of MP Promotions and Filipinos in our country and around the world, I’d like to say how proud we are of Eumir,” Pacquiao said in a statement. “I still remember how excited I was to begin my journey with Freddie and I know they will make a remarkable team. This isn’t just a debut for a professional boxing career, it is the beginning of a historic quest.  God bless Eumir Marcial.”

While he’s already fighting as a pro, the Zamboanga-native Marcial reiterated that winning a historic gold medal for the Philippines in next year’s Tokyo Olympics remains his top priority.

MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons attested that.

“I am very excited to see Eumir turn professional because it is an important step in gaining valuable experience for his Olympics campaign.  It’s essential preparation to compete at the highest level for the 2021 summer games in Tokyo,” said Gibbons. “If all goes well, Eumir will have one or two more pro fights to continue his preparation for next year’s Olympics.”