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Philippines, 27 Apr 2024 |
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While Marcial Impresses in US Training, His Former Amateur Foes Continue to Wow in the Ring By Teodoro Medina Reynoso PhilBoxing.com Mon, 30 Nov 2020  Marcial (L) poses with MP Promotions' Sean Gibbons. While Eumir Felix Marcial continues to draw raves in his training in the US, his former amateur rivals are turning heads in the professional ranks with level up ring victories mostly in the American circuit. Just this weekend, old foe Kazakhstan's Daniyar Yeluessinov, the 2016 Olympic gold medalist, stopped former unified world super lightweight titlist Julius Indonggo in the second round of their scheduled 10 round bout to win the vacant IBF intercontinental welterweight title. Fighting in the undercard of the Daniel Jacobs vs Gabe Rosado main event bout in Miami, Florida, the 29 year old Yeleussinov floored Indonggo in the opening round then decked him again in the second with a body shot that forced the Namibian to quit. 
Yeleussinov drops Indongo. The Kazakh became only the third fighter to halt Indonggo who had previously lost by knockouts to current WBO welterweight champion Terrence Crawford and former world titlist Regis Prograis in unification bouts at 140 lbs. With the win, Yeleussinov, who was the fourth straight Kazakh to win the Olympic welterweight gold but the first to turn pro, notched his 10th victory in the paid ranks, six by knockout. In 2015, Yeleussinov met Marcial twice in a span of one month, first in the quarters of the Asian Championship in Thailand and then in the second round of the World Amateur Championship in Qatar, beating the then barely 20 year old Filipino by 3-0 decision in both occasions. Yeleussinov won the Olympic welterweight gold in Rio de Janiero, Brazil in 2016 beating UK's Kelly Taylor, now also a pro fighter, in the finals. Last November 11, another Marcial amateur foe, Tursynbay Kulakhmet, also of Kazakhstan, registered his second win in as many pro bouts, beating UK's MacAulay McGowan by 10 round unanimous decision in England, winning the WBC international super welterweight title in the process. 
Kulakhmet pressures McGowan. Kulakhmet thoroughly dominated the more seasoned McGowan, even scoring a knockdown in the seventh round to win pulling away on all judges scorecards during the 154 lbs bout. Marcial met Kulakhmet in the semi finals of the 2019 World Amateur Championship in Yakerinburg, Russia and defeated the rugged Kazakh by 3-0 decision in securing a silver medal finish to the host boxer, Gleb Bakshi. Kulakhmet had earlier won the gold in the 2019 Asian Championship and was on a long winning roll before he faced and lost widely to Marcial. 
Madrimov and Walker. Yet another Marcial rival is Uzbekhistan's Israil Madrimov who is also undefeated with 6-0 record as a pro fighting in the super welterweight since late 2018. Madrimov last saw action in August against American fringe contender Eric Walker. Madrimov won the fight by unanimous decision, however there was controversy because it appeared that Madrimov had knocked Walker down and out with a legal punch in the 9th round of the fight, but referee Gary Ritter ruled that it was not a knockdown or a knockout, but rather that Madrimov had illegally knocked Walker down with his shoulder. Ritter gave Walker 5 minutes to recover and then restarted the fight, allowing Walker to take further punishment for two plus rounds. Hall of Fame referee Steve Smoger admonished Ritter after the fight for not ruling a knockdown and subsequent knockout and allowing Walker to take unnecessary punishment afterward. Madrimov who lost to Yeleussunov in 2014 Asian Games finals at welterweight and last time to Khulakmet, had met Marcial at least four times, winning thrice. He beat Marcial in the second round of the 2017 Asian Championship and the semifinals of the 2018 Asian Games where he both bagged the gold in the middleweight division. Curiously, Yeleussinov, Khulakmet and Madrimov are all fighting below the middleweight class in the pros although they are either taller than or the same size and built as Marcial. This is perhaps something Marcial's handlers at MP Promotions, including Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach could consider and think about after Eumir's final amateur stint in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.  |
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