As Marlon Tapales began to complain about the searing summer heat, it would be the total opposite when he arrives in Japan early next week for his April 23 first defense of the World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight title against Shohei Omori.
Temperatures in the Kansai region remain cool and by the time Team Tapales checks in at the APA Hotel Namba Shinsaibashi in the trendy Dotonburi area, the 24-year-old champion will be greeted by a low of ten degrees and a high of 18 degrees in Celsius, a level still hardly experienced by Filipinos in the lowlands even during the months of December until February.
The cold weather has made Tapales realize that he has to start going down in weight so he will easily conquer the scales on the eve of the scheduled 12-rounder at the Edion Arena.
?It?ll be a bit cold when we get to Osaka on the 17th so my weight should already be in check,? said Tapales, noting that he has to be not heavier than 124 lbs ?because shedding weight in a cold climate will be hard.?
Joining Tapales in the four hour and 30 minutes flight from Mactan-Cebu International are manager Wakee Salud and trainers Fernando Ocon and Brix Flores.
Salud is likewise concerned about the weather but remains unfazed.
?Marlon and his trainers know what they?re up to,? said Salud.
But there?s one thing that bothers Salud a bit.
Knowing that Tapales had beaten Omori before, Salud warns his fighter to treat his challenger with extreme caution.
