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| With Weljon Mindoro no longer cleared to replace him, Eumir Marcial will now need to beat Omar Huerta as quickly as possible so he can still make the Asian Games. |
MANILA—Needless to say, Eumir Marcial needs to knock out Omar Huerta as early as possible for reasons other than successfully defending his WBC international middleweight title.
Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines president Marcus Manalo said on Tuesday that Marcial needs to make the trip to Nishio, Japan from Temecula, California to avoid any potential penalty for not fielding a boxer in the men's 80-kilogram division for the Asian Games.
Speaking to reporters during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the PSC Media Hall inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, Manalo said the Philippine Olympic Committee would be sanctioned if it pulled out Marcial.
"I don't know kung ano exactly yung magiging scenario kasi hindi rin talaga technically allowed yung last-minute withdrawal. Otherwise, POC yung masasanction ng Olympic Council of Asia," Manalo said.
The dilemma regarding Marcial arose when Sean Gibbons scheduled his title defense against Huerta on Sept. 20 (Philippine Time), three days before he opens his Asian Games campaign.
The POC listed Marcial in its entry by name for the Asian Games, but ABAP was ready to bring in Weljon Mindoro as his replacement in the men's 80-kilogram division.
However, Mindoro was shockingly knocked out on Aug. 30 (Philippine Time) by Carlos Ocampo in Los Angeles.
The erstwhile undefeated pro is now under a medical suspension, which lasts at least a month, due to the knockout, making him unavailable for the Asian Games.
With that said, ABAP can only hope that Marcial, still perfect as a pro at 7-0, will finish off Huerta in the early rounds.
If the 10-round bout goes the full half-hour or worse, Huerta, boasting a 15-1-1 record with 13 knockouts, puts Marcial to sleep, the latter will also need to undergo the KO protocols, leaving ABAP with no choice but to withdraw its participation in the 176-pound Asian Games division.
However, Manalo said that either way, Marcial already has a flight ticket from the metropolitan San Diego area to the Aichi Prefecture.
"Sabi ko kay Eumir, whatever happens, may booking ka na from (San Diego) to Nagoya, so if you're not fit to box, then you go to the medical check and the doctors will have to declare na you cannot continue," Manalo said.
If Marcial is cleared to play in Nishio, the next concern is getting him bulked up in a very short amount of time.
Marcial will fight Huerta in a 160-pound duel, but afterward, the Filipino star will have to gain as much as 16 pounds.
However, Manalo said that the weigh-in concern is minimal as Marcial intends to stay below 80 kilograms.
"Medyo sweet spot sa kanya yung 78 (kilograms). Mga ganyan lang talaga siya," Manalo said.
"Yun yung sweet spot niya kasi pag 80 siya, parang feeling niya, mabagal siya."
First things first, though, Marcial needs to KO Huerta very quickly.
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