Marlon Tapales flexes his muscles for the camera while training at the Big Yellow Boxing Gym in Cebu. | Photo from Big Yellow Boxing Gym’s Facebook page
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Former World Boxing Organization (WBO) world bantamweight champion and current IBF No. 1 contender Marlon “Nightmare” Tapales is currently training at the Big Yellow Boxing Gym in Cebu City to prepare for his upcoming fight in the United States.
Big Yellow Boxing Gym’s chief trainer, Christopher “Ping Ping” Tepora confirmed to CDN Digital that Tapales is currently training at their gym.
Tepora said that Tapales has been training at their gym for a couple of weeks already to prepare himself for more rigid training when he flies back to the United States.
Although the opponent of the 30-year-old Tapales is not yet announced, he has been training silently for the past few months.
This as his world title shot against WBA and IBF world bantamweight champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev of Uzbekistan was shelved as the latter fought Ronny Rios who was originally his scheduled opponent.
Tapales training in Cebu isn’t new. The Tubod, Lanao del Norte native was formerly based in Cebu under the Rex Wakee Salud (RWS) Gym where he built his career and won a world title in 2016 before he flew to the United States under the General Santos City-based Sanman Boxing Promotions.
He holds a record of 36 wins with 19 knockouts and 3 defeats. His most recent victory was against Jose Estrella of Mexico last May at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson City, California.
Tapales is one of the five Filipinos who are now top-ranked in their respective weight divisions and in-line as mandatory world title challengers.
Tapales is also one of the Filipino boxers who is eyed to end the world title drought for the Philippines in boxing after the last remaining world champion in WBC world featherweight king Mark Magsayo was dethroned last Sunday by Mexican Rey Vargas via split decision in San Antonio, Texas.
The other Filipino top contenders are former world champion Johnriel Casimero (WBO bantamweight), Jade Bornea (IBF super flyweight) , Melvin Jerusalem (WBO minimumweight), and Vic Saludar (WBA minimumweight).
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