YOKOHAMA, Japan — All the way from Los Angeles, former Philippine team head coach Sugar “Ting” Ariosa blew into town a couple of days ago to lend a helping hand to Marlon Tapales’ quest to win the country’s first undisputed title in boxing.
Ariosa, who called the shots from 1979 until 1986, is a vital member of Tapales’ think tank and is upbeat about the chances of the Filipino southpaw against Naoya Inoue this Tuesday night at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, just 35 kilometers to the north.
“If Marlon executes the gameplan to perfection, the fight will be his,” Ariosa told DAILY TRIBUNE on Saturday afternoon.
Still, Ariosa, now 65, admits the four-belt super-bantamweight showdown would still be fought hard given the caliber of the undefeated Inoue.
“Execution will be the key for Marlon. Another thing is conditioning,” he said.
Ariosa won’t be the main voice in Tapales’ corner.
That belongs to Ernel Fontanilla.
“He will take charge. I am just here to support.”
Fontanilla, noted Ariosa, “has truly stepped up.”
In fact, Fontanilla’s rise is due to the fact that he has devoted his time to full-time coaching.
“He has decided to go full-time and this made the former pro fighter an even better trainer,” said Ariosa, who accompanied the trio of Nelson Jamili, Efren Tabanas and Leopoldo Cantancio to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
Just before he moved to the United States, Ariosa was on the team that saw Cantancio finish second and Brix Flores and Ernesto Coronel to third place in the 1986 Seoul Asian Games when the host nation swept all 12 gold medals.
Ariosa is also expected to assume the role of a cutman for the Inoue encounter, a job that he has done during Tapales’ fights on American soil.
When Tapales climbs the ring in a few days, you can expect that he will be in good hands.
Not only will Fontanilla be giving him precious pointers.
The presence of a seasoned strategist in Ariosa should only enhance his chances.
But in this stage in his life, he is satisfied being in the background.
After all, Ariosa swears he enjoys being a team player.
