World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight king Marlon Tapales pushed himself to the limit last week after going 12 full rounds of sparring twice as the Filipino champion revs up for his first defense of the WBO 118-lb throne on April 23 in Osaka.
Three weeks before engaging challenger Shohei Omori at the 8,000-seat Edion Arena, Tapales was fast and furious against sparmates Jason Redondo, Anthony Sabalde and Dave Penalosa at his chief handler Wakee Salud?s sweat shop in Cebu City.
Brix Flores, Tapales? chief trainer, told the Bulletin that going 12 rounds was easy-breezy for the 24-year-old champion.
?It wasn?t difficult for him to go 12 rounds,? reported Flores, who shares the cornerwork with Fernando Ocon.
After sparring for the last time on April 13, Team Tapales will head to Osaka via Cebu on April 17 with kingmaker Wakee Salud leading the delegation to Japan?s second city.
