Eumir Marcial’s training is being infused by Mexican brand of fighting in Las Vegas as the Filipino southpaw braces for a rough outing on 16 March at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.
While the selection of his opponent has yet to be revealed, Marcial is pushing himself to the max in his Sin City training camp being presided by Kay Koroma, who handles the overall gameplan, and Mexican Ramon Hernandez, tasked to do pad work and increase the fighter’s power rate.
It has been a few weeks since Marcial arrived in the United States to train for his fifth professional bout scheduled next month as part of his preparation for the 26 July to 11 August Olympics in the French capital.
He should be back in Manila in the first week of March already in peak form and raring to put on a show of force before his countrymen.
Having turned pro in December 2020 in Los Angeles, the 28-year-old Marcial had fought all his fights on American soil, seeing action in Southern California twice and once each in Las Vegas and San Antonio in Texas.
Marcial packs a 4-0 record with two knockouts and is notorious for having a killer right hook and a lethal left straight, weapons that he utilized not only in his Olympic campaign but in the pro ranks as well.
So far, Marcial, who is under contract with the Manny Pacquiao-owned MP Promotions, is the only Filipino boxer who has earned a Paris ticket.
The rest of the national boxers are in the thick of training in Europe and getting ready to compete in the first World Olympic Qualification Tournament starting late this month in Italy.
A second qualifier — and last — will be staged in Thailand in early-June.
In the Tokyo Olympics, Marcial bagged the bronze in the middleweight class while flyweight Carlo Paalam settled for the flyweight silver and Nesthy Petecio also secured the silver in the women’s fly class.
But in Paris, Marcial will be punching in the light-heavyweight bracket since the middleweight class was excluded.
Excluding Marcial, the Philippines has three other Olympic qualifiers: Gymnasts Carlos Yulo and Aleah Finnegan and pole vaulter EJ Obiena.
