Philippines, 17 Sep 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


Marcial likes Charly’s chances


PhilBoxing.com



Charly Suarez (L) in action.

Olympic middleweight boxing qualifier Eumir Marcial expects at least four more fighters from the ABAP pool to make it to the postponed Tokyo Games next year and recently singled out Charly Suarez as a top bet in the featherweight division if he decides to join the battle for remaining tickets.

Suarez, 31, competed in the 2016 Olympics and lost to the UK’s Joe Cordina on points in his only appearance in Rio de Janeiro. The three-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist has turned pro and now boasts a 4-0 record, with 4 KOs. There will be five slots in the featherweight class awarded at the rescheduled world qualifying tournament in Paris and if Suarez throws his hat in the derby, he’ll be a favorite because of his experience. The issue is whether Suarez can trim down to 57 kilograms or not.

As a pro, Suarez has scaled in the range of 129 1/4 to 132 pounds. In his most recent outing last February, he weighed 130 to halt Dave Barlas in the third round to win the vacant Luzon Professional Boxing Association superfeatherweight crown. Suarez’ pro fighting weight is in between two Olympic divisions----featherweight (57 kilograms or 125.7 pounds) and lightweight (63 kilograms or 138.9 pounds). At the moment, he’s heavy for a featherweight and light for a lightweight in Olympic terms. To maximize his power, Suarez is better off going down to featherweight in the same way that Nonito Donaire scaled down to bantamweight after fighting up to featherweight in the pros.

Suarez said if he sets his mind to it, reducing to 57 kilograms won’t be difficult. Pro boxers are now allowed to compete in the Olympics so it won’t be a problem for Suarez to participate if he qualifies. The featherweight contenders in the ABAP pool are Ian Clark Bautista and Mario Fernandez. Another prospect is Fil-Am Vincent Siordia. Bautista, 25, failed to make it out of the recent Asia/Oceania qualifiers in Amman while Fernandez, 26, is in military camp. Siordia trained in Manila but is now back in the US.

“Malaking chance ni Charly kung sumali siya sa qualifiers,” said Marcial. “Big factor ang experience niya. Sa world qualifiers, iba-ibang style ang makikita. Dapat nasa kondisyon at madaling makapag-adjust sa laban. Sa amateur, ang timbangan sa umaga ng bawa’t laban. Kailangan manalo ng apat na laban para mag-qualify. Sa pro, pwedeng pag-aralan ang style ng kalaban na mabuti. Sa amateur, iba-iba ang kalaban every other day kaya mahirap ang scouting. Kung magkaroon ka ng injury, walang oras mag-recover kasi tuloy-tuloy ang laban. Kaya, malaking bagay ang experience.”

In the flyweight division, Marcial said it’s a toss-up between 2016 Olympian Rogen Ladon and Carlo Paalam. “Not yet time ni Carlo sa Asia/Oceania qualifiers although maganda ang pinakita niya,” he said. “Si Rogen, may experience. Pareho silang nag-gold sa SEA Games last December. Kung sino sa kanila ang lalaban sa world qualifier, malamang papasok sa Olympics. Sa lightheavyweight division, big chance na mag-qualify si John (Marvin). Malas siya sa SEA Games at hindi siya sumali sa Asia/Oceania qualifiers dahil sa injury. Pero naka-recover na siya. Sa women, si Nesthy (Petecio) kayang mag-qualify sa featherweight.”

Marcial and women’s flyweight Irish Magno are the only ABAP qualifiers for the Tokyo Games so far. They made it through the Jordan qualifiers. Magno will be the first Filipina ever to represent the country in boxing in the Olympics. Marcial topped the Asia/Oceania qualifiers and could become the Philippines’ first Olympic gold medalist.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • TICKET NEWS: EUBANK JR-BENN II ON SALE FROM THIS WEDNESDAY
    , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • “Night of Champions” Returns to Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando on September 19
    , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • Canelo-Crawford: The Consolidation of Boxing’s New Commercial Empire
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • A New Era for Boxing: Canelo vs. Crawford Shatters Global Viewership Records on Netflix
    By Dong Secuya, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • Crawford Not the First Lightweight to Distinguish Himself at Super Middleweight
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • Kurt Scoby and Josh Popper Headline Boxing Insider Card September 19 in Times Square
    , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • Green and Gold 2025: Amateur Boxing’s International Gathering in Bolivia
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • Pakistan's Sameer Khan Set to Battle for UBO Youth World Title in Brico Santig’s Sep 27 Show in Thailand
    By Carlos Costa, , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • SAMBO Pilipinas is Southern NSA of the Year 2025
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • Kingsley “The Black Lion” Ibeh To headline historic “Legacy Nights” Inaugural Pro Boxing event in El Salvador
    , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • Smarts over power
    By Joaquin Henson, , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • HALL OF FAME FLIES FLAGS AT HALF-STAFF FOR TWO-DIVISION CHAMPION RICKY HATTON
    , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • Kazakhstan tops the medal table at the inaugural World Boxing Championships 2025 thanks to victory in the final bout of the competition
    , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • THRILLA IN MANILA GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 13: JOE FRAZIER’S HUMBLE BEGINNINGS AS AN AMATEUR FIGHTER
    By Maloney L. Samaco, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • A New King, A New Challenger: Turki Alalshikh Proposes Crawford-Benavidez While Canelo Alvarez Faces Defeat with Humility
    By Dong Secuya, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Highly Questionable Title Eliminator
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Yoseline Perez Earns Silver Medal at Inaugural World Boxing Championships
    , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • 21-year-old Filipino wins at Germany rapid chess tournament
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Nagoya Nightmare: Naoya Inoue Notches One-Sided Decision over Murodjon Akhmadaliev
    , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Inoue’s Philippine Connection: Which Pinoy Super Bantamweight Could Challenge “The Monster?”
    By Carlos Costa, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Yoseline Perez Advances to the Finals at the World Boxing Championships Perez Set to Face Chinese Taipei’s Hsiao-Wen Huang for 54-Kilogram World Title
    , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Canelo Gets Outboxed, Loses Undisputed Title to Crawford
    By Carlos Costa, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • A Masterpiece of Boxing: Terence Crawford Dethrones Canelo Alvarez in Historic Showdown
    By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • LEWIS CROCKER IS CROWNED THE NEW IBF WORLD WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION
    , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • Battle of Undefeated: Callum Walsh Vanquishes Fernando Vargas Jr.
    By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 14 Sep 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.