Photo from Facebook screen grab
World rated bantamweight Marlon Tapales looks good and in top shape prior to his fight against Japan’s Hayato Kimura at the Sangyo Hall, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. Tapales (24-2, 9 KO’s) will be on the road to face Kimura (21-5, 15 KO’s) in a 10 Round bout on April 13.
In the above photo, Tapales seemed in great shape several days away from the fight.
In a short conversation that we had, Tapales told that he will leave from Cebu to Japan on April 11.
On Wednesday, Tapales was one of the 12 boxers honored during the 32nd Sportswriters Association of Cebu (SAC)- San Miguel Beer (SMB) awards.
He received an award for his WBO regional title win. He defeated another Filipino, Fredirex Rodriguez by unanimous decision at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel to win the WBO Asia-Pacific bantamweight title last August 1, 2013.
Tapales is among those very few boxers from our province in Lanao del Norte, in Northern Mindanao, that climbs up the ranks in professional boxing and is earning national recognition. And is now also gaining regional attention.
