FORMER world champion Marlon Tapales is in a must-win situation as he eyes another run at a world title next year.
Tapales is set to defend his World Boxing Council (WBC) Asian Continental super-bantamweight strap against lesser-known Indian prospect Saurabh Kumar today, September 7, 2024, at the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
“We are looking to stay busy and earn a title shot in 2025,” Tapales’ handler, Sanman Promotions CEO JC Manangquil, told SunStar Cebu. “We are not sure if this is his last fight for the year. We just want to keep him busy.”
The 32-year-old Tapales is still considered one of the top fighters in his weight division despite losing his World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) super-bantamweight belts to Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue by a 10th-round knockout in Japan last year.
Tapales is still ranked No. 2 by the WBC, No. 3 by the IBF, and No. 4 by the WBA.
Tapales could earn a rematch against Inoue or even fight for a vacant title if the latter decides to move up in weight.
Although Kumar is relatively unknown in the mainstream boxing scene, Tapales won’t take his opponent lightly.
“We don’t underestimate any opponent. Marlon’s mindset is to be in the best shape every time he steps into the ring,” said Manangquil.
The 28-year-old Kumar is coming off a fourth-round stoppage of Shivam Sharma in India.
Kumar’s biggest fight was last year when he fought undefeated Chinese boxer Zhong Liu for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Oriental super-bantamweight belt in China. Kumar was stopped in the seventh round by Liu.
Tapales has a 38-4 win-loss record with 20 knockouts, while Kumar stands at 11-1-1 with six knockouts.