Marlon Tapales swears he won’t turn into a deer caught in the headlights when he gets the opportunity to face pound-for-pound king Naoya Inoue later this year in Tokyo.
Fresh from watching Inoue conduct a demolition job of erstwhile unbeaten Stephen Fulton in Japan, Tapales told Daily Tribune that the American was doomed from the start.
“Fulton was terrified,” Tapales, seated three rows from where the carnage took place at the Ariake Arena, said.
Tapales said Inoue succeeded in intimidating his foe that “it was a matter of time” before the roof would cave in on the horror-stricken Fulton.
A wicked right to the head sent Fulton, visibly jarred from the impact, backing away but a follow-up Inoue left to the face finally floored him.
Although he got up, Fulton’s faculties were so messed up that the referee had to call a halt after a left by Inoue that found its mark produced the second knockdown.
The victory awarded Inoue two world super-bantamweight belts — the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Organization — that he will put on line against Tapales at the Tokyo Dome.
Tapales holds the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation jewels and the winner of the proposed December clash will become the undisputed champion.
“It’s a pity that you trained long and hard but you would end up feeling scared during the fight,” Tapales said from his training camp in General Santos City.
If he beats Inoue, who is already a prohibitive favorite to snatch the Filipino southpaw’s prized possessions, Tapales will achieve not even Manny Pacquiao managed to do.
“Becoming undisputed champion is my prime motivation,” he said.
