Eumir Marcial is all set to make his professional boxing debut on Dec. 16 (Dec. 17 in Manila) at the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles, California. The Tokyo Olympics qualifier will be taking on American fighter Andrew Whitfield (3-1, 2 KOs) in a four-round middleweight bout, and assistant trainer Marvin Somodio is all praises for the Filipino slugger’s punching power.
Marcial is currently with Somodio to oversee the final phase of preparation before the weigh-in and they will be joined by Freddie Roach on fight day.
“Everything is good here. Yesterday, when we came into the bubble, we were tested then we went straight to our rooms,” Somodio said. “We were informed earlier that we all tested negative including the opponent and his team.”
Marcial, who has been training at the Wild Card Gym since his arrival in the United States several weeks ago, has vast experience as an amateur boxer but he’ll be stepping into a new stage altogether as he turns pro.
“There are differences between amateur and pro boxing, with the weight of the gloves and the length of the match but in his first fight it will be mostly the same because it will only be a four-round fight,” Somodio explained. “What’s important was his training camp because it’ll serve him not just now but in his future career. Right now, I can say he’s already adjusted to the professional style and has also developed his defense.”
The middleweight fighter developed a fearsome reputation as a knockout puncher in the amateurs, and Somodio is confident that he’ll be able to carry the same power into the pros.
“He’s coming from the amateur ranks but his power is really noticeable. He’s the first Filipino middleweight that Freddie will handle but he’s already stronger that Freddie’s other middleweights,” the assistant trainer said. “He’s gifted with good power, footwork, and stamina.”
Somodio said that Roach noticed a lot of similarities between Marcial and eight-division boxing champion Manny Pacquiao.
“Eumir had some movements that were similar with Senator Manny. Of course, they’re both southpaws but the footwork is also there,” he said. “There are lots of similarities but of course Senator Manny is still on a different level.”
One particular similarity between the two is that they are both fast learners.
“Eumir improved quickly. He learns fast. If we do it on the mitts, you’ll see the results immediately,” said Somodio. As the offense has never been a problem for Marcial, their focus is to make sure the other aspects of his game catch up with his power.
“We’re focused on the stance, his defense, and the pace of the match. I want to see a calmer Eumir. I want to see him choose his punches intelligently and not to take unnecessary damage.”
