TOKYO, Japan — Boxing authorities will put in effect “instant replays” when Naoya Inoue meets Marlon Tapales for the undisputed world super-bantamweight championship on Tuesday night at the Ariake Arena.
“So, if there is a knockdown, a slip, a headbutt, something that the referee missed, they have one minute in between rounds to see if the referee or judge made the right call,” Brendan Gibbons, who attended the rules meeting, told DAILY TRIBUNE after the official weigh-in in Yokohama.
Owing to the high-profile nature of the fight, officials here want to ensure fairness and avoid controversies that could potentially affect the outcome.
“If it’s a knockdown, headbutt, they can review that in that one-minute period,” said Brendan, whose father Sean is Tapales’ premier promoter.
“If the fight goes past four rounds, and there’s a headbutt and the fighter who is winning on the scorecards will be the winner.”
But if the fight gets stopped in the first four rounds because of a butt, it will automatically be ruled a no-contest or no-decision.
Brendan will also be in the corner to assist lead trainer Ernel Fontanilla and JC Mananquil and Los Angeles-based cutman Hervi Estrada.
A part-time fashion model, Brendan also does cornerwork for big fights involving Filipino boxers mainly in the United States.
Just in his 20s, Brendan is clearly following the footsteps of his highly-accomplished dad, who is known all over for his knowledge of the fight game and his strong connections.
While Brendan is just taking baby steps, it won’t be long before he becomes Sean’s heir apparent.
