A few days ago, two elite Filipino fighters went mano-a-mano.
Not in the boxing ring, though.
Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Eumir Marcial and former world minimumweight king Pedro Taduran squared off in a basketball match in Los Angeles.
It was just a friendly game.
But it was still kind of competitive as Marcial showed off his long-range shooting skills and Taduran his shifty drives to the basket.
It was obvious the two boxers loved playing basketball.
Marcial, who fights in the professional ranks as a middleweight (160 lbs), wound up ‘knocking out’ Taduran, who briefly held as International Boxing Federation 105-lb ruler.
“I got knocked out by the champ (Marcial),” Taduran told Daily Tribune after their friendly game.
The two found themselves spending quality time when Marcial arrived in California a few days ago to have his right hand examined by medical experts in preparation for a fight in the pros or in the amateur ranks.
Nothing is set in stone just yet.
The sad thing is that there seems to be no middle ground.
Marcial is being groomed to represent the country in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou in September-October with the event serving as a qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
But Marcial is about to make a tough decision in the coming days.
The heavy-handed southpaw from Zamboanga is contractually bound to honor his pro contract.
Last time he was in the ring, he bludgeoned Argentine Ricardo Villalba in less than two rounds.
He was supposed to return to action last March or April but he aggravated his right hand injury, forcing him to take a long break not just from fighting but from training as well.
In a video chat a few days back, Marcial said he has started training and throwing the right hand.
Everything seems to be fine with the hand.
But what’s not clear is what the future holds.
Marcial swears he still dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal but he could end up skipping the Asian Games if a fight in the pros gets booked.
All is not lost even if he skips Hangzhou since there would surely be a few qualifying meets taking place in the months leading to Paris.
But then again, Marcial is in a situation you don’t want to be in.
As I wrote yesterday, he’s caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.
The sad thing is that there seems to be no middle ground.
