FILIPINO-British Marvin John Nobel Tupas put up a spectacular show, eking out a referee-stopped contest victory over Malaysian Adli Hapidz Bin Mohd Fauzi, 21 seconds in the first round of their men's light heavyweight gold medal match in the 29th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games boxing competition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday, August 24.
His golden feat and that of Eumir Felix Marcial lifted Philippines national boxing team's medal haul to two golds, one silver and two bronzes to end their SEA Games bid on a high note.
Tupas unleashed powerful left and right combinations that left Fauzi inutile inside the ring, thus, prompting the referee to stop the bout.
Tupas later said in a media interview aired online that he did not want to leave his fate to the hometown decision.
"I wasn't surprised (with what happened)," he said that every training session he underwent was meant to ready him for anything.
Tupas, whose mother is a native of Lubao in Pampanga, said, "Once we get in, we are there to destroy people, nothing more. I came to win," Tupas said, adding that he leaves the Asian Games decision to his coach.
He also said that he's thankful for the opportunity to represent the country to the Games.
Veteran broadcaster Ron delos Reyes, via Philippine Sports Commission Facebook live, said Tupas could be the best boxer in the entire five-day boxing competition of the biennial meet.
Marcial, for his part, outclassed Thailand's Pathomsak Kuttiya of Thailand in men's middleweight finals despite an ailing hand.
He said, "May injury ako, masakit ang kamay ko pero sabi ko sa sarili ko last na to, bahala na palitan ako ng kamay bukas."
Mario Fernandez, however, was not as lucky as he lost to Indonesia Chatchai Butdee in their men's bantamweight clash. The Filipino settled for silver.
Light welterweight Charly Suarez of Sawata, Davao del Norte and flyweight Ian Clark Bautista annexed bronzes.