It’s a done deal. Amateur standout Eumir Felix Marcial has inked a six-year professional contract with Manny Pacquiao (MP) Promotions and is expected to unload his first pro punch before the year ends. Marcial’s impending pro debut has generated so much media mileage, one never before seen in the history of local pro boxing.
Marcial even received an astronomical signing bonus from MP Promotions. Ring icon Manny Pacquiao, apparently convinced that Marcial is the next “big thing” in Philippine boxing, has decided to invest heavily on the guy this early.
Marcial’s pro debut is expected to happen in October, coinciding with his 25th birthday. It is worth noting though that his deal with MP Promotions also allows him to pursue his quest for an Olympic gold medal. Marcial clinched an Olympic berth some three months ago but the Tokyo Olympics, originally scheduled to kick off this week, has been moved to next year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Professional boxers are now allowed to compete in the Games, so Marcial turning pro does not figure to jeopardize his Olympic spot. The Games are tentatively set for July 2021 and by then Marcial may have already figured in three professional bouts. Of course, there is the possibility that the Tokyo Games may end up being scrapped if a vaccine for the virus remains elusive in 2021. Should this happen, Marcial might as well solely focus on his pro campaign.
Marcial’s pro debut is likely to take place in the United States. Considering his size, Marcial really has no one to fight here. Marcial stands 5’8” and campaigns in the middleweight division in the amateur ranks. When he turns pro, he is likely to campaign in the middleweight class, which has a weight limit of 160 pounds. Marcial can easily move up to super middleweight (168 pounds) down the road.
Marcial is looking to follow in the footsteps of Ceferino Garcia, who is on record as the heaviest Filipino world boxing champion in history. Garcia pulled off the historic feat some 80 years ago. Garcia won the New York State Athletic Commission’s version of the world middleweight title in October 1939 after he stopped Fred Apostoli in seven rounds in New York. Garcia’s reign was short-lived as he was dethroned by Ken Overlin in May 1940. Still, Garcia was able to squeeze in two defenses, including a knockout win over Glen “Wildcat” Lee in Manila in December 1939.
Garcia stood 5’6” and weighed in the neighborhood of 155 pounds during his tenure as middleweight king. Marcial is way bigger than Garcia, and this explains why Filipino fight fans are excited to see Marcial in a pro ring. Marcial comes across as a freak of nature and fans cannot wait to track his progress in the pro ranks.
Majority of the country’s world boxing champions have come from the lower weight classes, particularly the flyweight (112 lbs.) division. Pacquiao was able to win the WBC super welterweight title (154 lbs.) title in November 2010, making him the second “heaviest” Pinoy champ, but the “Pac Man” had to put on the pounds to contend for the title. Pacquiao actually fought Mexican Antonio Margarito at a catchweight and weighed only 145 pounds during the fight. Unlike Pacquiao, Marcial is a legit middleweight.
Then again, Marcial is already 24 years old, which is a late age to turn pro. He will have to make an impact right away and it will not be easy considering that he will be facing a lot of big guys. The middleweight division has been dominated by American and European fighters. Garcia became the first Asian to be crowned middleweight king in 1939. It was not until December 1995, when Japan’s Shinji Takehara won the WBA middleweight crown, that another Asian fighter earned recognition as 160-pound king. Takehara’s reign was a disappointment as he lost his crown in his first defense against William Joppy in June 1996.
Japan’s Ryota Murata currently holds the WBA’s “regular” middleweight title but this is a secondary belt, the genuine champion being WBA ‘super’ champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico. The WBC middleweight king is American Jermall Charlo (30-0, 22 knockouts) while the IBF king is Gennady Golovkin (40-1, 35 knockouts).
Marcial will have four versions of the middleweight crown to choose from (WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO), but as aforementioned the road to the title figures to be loaded with potholes. However, there are two things going for Marcial. The first is the extensive seasoning he got in the amateur ranks. Marcial had won 63 of 80 amateur fights dating back to 2008 and has never been knocked out. The second, of course, is the presence of Pacquiao in Marcial’s corner. You cannot go wrong when you have an eight-division world champion to guide you.
