Marlon Tapales buckled down to work just a few hours after arriving in Baguio City on Wednesday afternoon from Los Angeles as the two-belt Filipino world champion kicked off the most crucial phase of his training camp for the unification duel with Naoya Inoue on 26 December in Tokyo.
Tapales immediately boarded a vehicle that picked him and his training team up at the Ninoy Aquino Airport and after a late lunch before going up the City of Pines, he did light training under the supervision of chief trainer Ernel Fontanilla.
“It is important that we train right away,” Tapales told DAILY Tribune.
Tapales will dangle his World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation super-bantamweight belts at the Ariake Arena against Inoue, who will likewise put his World Boxing Council and World Boxing Organization straps on the line.
If victorious, Tapales will pull off a great feat by becoming the first Filipino undisputed champion, an accomplishment not even Manny Pacquiao was able to achieve in his legendary career.
Given the massive time difference between the Philippines and the United States West Coast, Tapales won’t be doing hard training right away at the same facility where Pacquiao trained a few times in preparation for major bouts in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Tapales will stay in Baguio City until the third week of December and is expected to fly to the Japanese capital on the 17th, 18th or 19th.
He will be joined there by other members of his US-based tactical squad headed by former national team head coach Ting Ariosa.
