MIDDLEWEIGHT boxer Eumir Felix Marcial will remain an amateur at least until after his campaign in the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics, MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons clarified on Sunday.
“Absolutely, he is going to remain in amateur status because he qualified for the Olympics,” Gibbons said. “Regardless if he gets a license as a pro, he is still an amateur.”
Marcial signed a lucrative professional contract with Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions last July but stressed his desire to win the gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics that were rescheduled for July 23 to August 8 next year.
“With the way the AIBA [International Boxing Association] is running boxing now, you can be a professional and fight as an amateur—so there’s no really such thing as being an amateur,” Gibbons said.
The AIBA started allowing pros during the Rio 2016 Games to compete for their respective countries in tournaments or games it sanctions or supervises like the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games, world championships and the Olympics.
Gibbons, also a known international matchmaker, explained Marcial has no plans of giving up his amateur status.
“He [Marcial] is always going to remain an amateur. Even he fights a professional fight, he still maintains his amateur status,” he said. “Plain and simple—he still an amateur.
Marcial has yet to secure a professional boxer’s license from the Games and Amusements Board, a must for Filipino prize fighters especially when they fight in domestic cards.
Gibbons said Marcial is not eluding the GAB license.
“Eventually, when the time is right, we will apply for a GAB license,” he said.
Marcial flew to Los Angeles last October 11 and is now training under legendary trainer Freddie Roach, assistant Marvin Somodio and strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune at the Wildcard gym.
