Marlons Tapales (center) poses with his promoter Rex “Wakee” Salud (right) and ALA Gym trainer Edito Villamor. /CONTRIBUTED PHOTO EDITO VILLAMOR
LANAO del Norte’s Marlon “Maranding Nightmare” Tapales fulfilled his dream of becoming a world champion and did it in enemy’s territory as he knocked out Pongluang Sor Singyu to wrest the WBO world bantamweight crown in Ayutthaya, Thailand.
The dethroned defending champion Sor Singyu floored Tapales twice in the fifth round but the Filipino fighter came back strong and finished off the Thailander in the 11th round.
Showing tremendous fighting spirit, Tapales bucked the fifth-round knockdown and dropped Sor Singyu in the sixth.
In the 11th round, Tapales tagged Sor Singyu with a right hook to the head and followed it up with an uppercut and a left straight, flooring the Thailander for good.
The 24-year-old Tapales is based in Cebu and is promoted by Rex “Wakee” Salud.