Wednesday, 29 July 2026 · Philippines
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TAPALES RETURNS HOME A CHAMPION

BANGKOK, Thailand -- Newly crowned WBO bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales of the Philippines, who wrested the belt from two-time world champion Pungluang Sor Singyu of Thailand Wednesday afternoon in the historic city of Ayutthaya in a dramatic fashion, leaves Bangkok Thursday morning for Cebu via Manila on a Cebu Pacific flight. Accompanying Tapales are his mother Maria, his trainers Fernando Ocon, Brix Flores and Tito Abella together with journalists Nick Giongco of the Manila Bulletin and this writer.

The group is expected to arrived at the NAIA Terminal 3 at 2:00 p.m. before they take a connecting flight to Cebu scheduled at 4:00 p.m.

Manila mediamen are expected to meet Tapales in Manila briefly the new champion will host a dinner for the Cebu media at the RWS Gym in Cebu City in the evening.

Tapales and his mother will leave Cebu Friday for their hometown in Lala, Lanao del Norte.

Tapales's manager Rex 'Wakee' Salud and his wife Elvira head to Singapore from Bangkok for a brief vacation and are expected to return to Cebu on Tuesday, Aug. 2.

Top photo: Newly crowned world champion Marlon Tapales holds a Bangkok newspaper where his dramatic feat of defeating former Thai world champion Pungluang Sor Singyu makes headlines Wednesday.

Team Tapales victory pose, L-R, standing: Tito Abella, Wakee Salud, Marlon Tapales, Mario Tapales, Elvira Salud and Thai supporter Narong Hertrakul; seated: Fernando Ocon, Dino Rafaeles and Brix Flores.

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