Osaka, Japan — Marlon “The Nightmare” Tapales of the Philippines has been stripped of his World Boxing Organization (WBO) world bantamweight title after he failed to make the contracted 118 lbs weight on his second try during the official weighin held at Hotel Monterey here Saturday afternoon.
Tapales was supposed to make the first defense of his title against Shohei Omori of Japan on Sunday at the Edion Arena here.
Tapales, who weighed in at 54.3 kilos (119.75 lbs) during the first try, came back 1 hour and 45 minutes later to the weighing scale but this time he weighed in even heavier at 54.4 lbs (119.93 lbs).
WBO supervisor Rolando Marcos Hermosa of Panama then read the WBO championship rules in front of Tapales, his manager Rex ‘Wakee’ Salud and matchmaker Joe Koizumi who also acted as the interpreter, stripping Tapales of his title.
The fight though, will push through Sunday but should Tapales win over Omori, the title will be left vacant. Should Omori win, he will become the new WBO world bantamweight champion.
According to former world champion Gerry Penalosa, who was in Tapales’ team, both boxers will wear same 8-ounce gloves.
Tapales (29-2-1, 12KO’s) was 1.75lbs over the weight limit of 118lbs. Omori (18-1, 13 KOs), meanwhile, tipped the scales at 117.5lbs.
Tapales of the Rex “Wakee” Salud Gym, won the WBO bantamweight title July of last year when he knocked out Thai Pongluang Sor Singyu in Thailand.