Philippines, 12 Jul 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


TAPALES TO RECEIVE HERO?S WELCOME


PhilBoxing.com




Newly crowned World Boxing Organization bantamweight champion Marlon ?The Nightmare? Tapales is expected to receive a hero?s welcome when he arrives this afternoon in Manila and quickly takes a connecting flight to Cebu where the Rex ?Wakee? Salud fighter is based.

Tapales becomes the fourth world champion nurtured by Salud who previously chartered the careers of brothers Dodie Boy and Gerry Penalosa and Malcom Tunacao.

Tapales becomes the fourth Filipino world champion alongside WBO light flyweight king Donnie Nietes, the longest-reigning Filipino world champion, IBF flyweight champion Johnreil Casimero and WBO super bantamweight and five division world champion Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire.

Tapales and Salud both thought it was the end of Tapales? lifelong dream when he was dropped twice in the 5th round by hard-hitting and rugged two-time champion Pungluang Sor Singyu and was grimacing in pain but Puerto Rican referee Ramon Pena felt there was still some fight left in the Filipino as he had used quick combinations to set the pace in the early rounds and then danced out of trouble.

The long awaited fight took place at the Ayutthaya City park with Pungluang beginning to pressure Tapales in the 3rd round where he pushed him against the ropes and connected with three solid right hands in quick succession.

But Boxing Scene?s James Goyder reported that Tapales ?circled out and answered with a quick combination of his own with a right uppercut followed by a straight left cross.?

The Thai champion pressured Tapales in the 4th round and connected with a straight right to the body before once again trapping the challenger against the ropes and connected with solid right hands to the head and body.

The action exploded in the 5th round when Pungluang dropped Tapales with a vicious right hook to the body and although Tapalese beat the count he was clearly hurt as Pungluang swarmed all over him and dropped him for a second time with another right to the body.

It took Tapales a long time to get to his feet and referee Pena looked like he would call a halt but the courageous Filipino continued to cover up and fight back even as the champion tried to finish him off.

Behind on the scorecards of all three judges because of the two knockdowns, Pungluang appeared to tire even as Tapales turned aggressive and connected with what was described as ?a clubbing right hand? that dropped Pungluang whose punch output dropped almost totally after the knockdown.

Pungluang returned to pressure Tapales in the 7th round who retaliated landed with a nasty low blow and after a brief respite Pungluang returned to the fray with a series of punches that Tapales caught on his arms.

A tiring champion and the mandatory challenger who had to shed one pound before making weight at the official weigh-in and having to spend hours on the road to get to the venue also eased off in rounds eight and nine.

The action exploded in round eleven as Tapales nailed Pungluang with two cracking left hooks to the body g and followed this up with a terrific left straight that sent the champion flying backwards even as it became clear he was not going to beat the count.

Boxing Scene said ?It seemed that either exhaustion or an accumulation of punches had taken their toll on Pungluang who simply had nothing left. For Tapales it represented a stunning comeback and the defining moment of a professional career which up until this point had been lacking only a world title.?

The end came some 37 seconds into the penultimate round and saw Tapales crowned as the new WBO 118 lbs champion. His record improves to 29-2 while Pungluang drops to 52-4 after suffering a first ever loss on Thai soil.

WBO official fight supervisor Leon Panoncillo told The Standard ?It was one of the best fights I?ve ever seen in Thailand.?

ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer praised the courage of Tapales while trainer/matchmaker and former world title challenger EDito ?Ala? Villamor who had initiated talks with ?Wakee? Salud to recruit Tapales under the banner of the famed ALA Promotions commended Tapales for his fighting heart and said ?his mindset was to win. And he did.?


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • Taylor vs. Serrano Trilogy: Can Amanda Get The Nod?
    By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 12 Jul 2025
  • BERLANGA-SHEERAZ, STEVENSON-CEPEDA, MORELL-KHATAEV MAKE WEIGHT IN NEW YORK
    By Dong Secuya, , Sat, 12 Jul 2025
  • Johnny Spell Takes on Chancellor Batttenberg on Saturday, July 19th at the Hollywood Casino at the Meadows in Washington, PA
    , Sat, 12 Jul 2025
  • JV Tuazon, Ador Torres, Lemuel De Barbo, Jomar Fajardo Make Weight for Brico Santig's Highland Show in Thailand
    By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Philippine Under-12 Girls Team Shines Bright, Clinches Multiple Medals at 23rd ASEAN+ Age Group Chess Championships in Penang
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Kenneth “Llover Boy” Takes on “El Nica” Concepcion Aug 17 on Gerry Peñalosa’s Show @ the Winford Resort and Casino Manila (Analysis)
    By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Undefeated junior middleweight prospect Anthony Velazquez won’t be Boxing’s best kept secret in 2026
    , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Undefeated Gabriela Tellez Returns July 18 at “Night of Champions” Live on DAZN
    , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Dushanbe hosts stacked fight card with Bakhodur Usmonov and Christopher Mouafo headlining IBA.Pro 8
    , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Shakur vs Zepeda & Morrell vs Khataev Fight Analysis
    By Ralph Rimpell, , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • Peñalosa To Test "Lover Boy" Llover Versus Accomplished Panamanian Veteran Concepcion
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • USA Boxing Youth High Performance Team Begins Brandenburg Cup Prep Camp
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • Dream Fight: “Bam” Rodriguez vs “Puma” Martinez on the Horizon
    By Carlos Costa, , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • Perez vs Vivas Headlines All Star Boxing's Prueba de Fuego Card on July 25
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • Christy Martin Promotions & Ringside Ticket Inc. Present ‘Lopez Vs. Vargas’ Welterweight Battle
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • Vegas Fight Experience Where Authentic Sparring Meets Cinematic Vegas Energy
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • 4 Division World Champion & Hall of Famer Erik Morales Confirmed for Eighth Annual Box Fan Expo, During Mexican Independence Day Weekend, Saturday September 13, in Las Vegas
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • SALITA PROMOTIONS SIGNS FORMER WORLD CHAMPION TONY HARRISON
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • FIGHT EMPIRE! TUAZON, ADOR, DE BARBO, JOMAR, AND MORE ARE READY FOR ACTION IN BRICO SANTIG'S EXCITING SHOW JULY 12 IN THAILAND
    By Carlos Costa, , Wed, 09 Jul 2025
  • Shakur Stevenson and David Morrell Face "Crossroad Fights" This Saturday in Queens
    By Ralph Rimpell, , Wed, 09 Jul 2025
  • Christy Martin’s “Mayhem in Music City 2” to Feature Undefeated Vic Hernandez Facing Jayvon Garnett for NABA & Jr. NABF Featherweight Championships
    , Wed, 09 Jul 2025
  • James Perkins & Anthony Andreozzi Headlines “Oceanside Prize Fights”
    , Wed, 09 Jul 2025
  • GORST PURSUES GOLDEN GLORY IN JEDDAH, DEFENDING WORLD POOL CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE IN SAUDI ARABIA, 21–26 JULY
    , Wed, 09 Jul 2025
  • Hovhannisyan and Barrientes Set for High-Stakes Showdowns July 18 on DAZN
    , Tue, 08 Jul 2025
  • UNBEATEN PROSPECT KENNETH LLOVER TO FACE FORMER TWO-DIVISION CHAMPION LUIS CONCEPCION IN MANILA
    , Mon, 07 Jul 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.