FOR boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, rising star Eumir Felix Marcial has a strong chance of winning for the country it’s first Olympic gold medal in the next year’s Tokyo Games.
“That kid is great and very talented. I know how his styles and the way he fights since from the beginning,” the 42-year-old Pacquiao told BusinessMirror. “His chances are absolutely huge. Yes, he has [a chance].”
Pacquiao said that the 25-year-old Zamboanga City pride is “durable, fast and a natural powerful puncher.”
Under Hall of Famer trainer Freddie Roach and strength and conditioning Coach Justin Fortune, Pacquiao said Marcial would absolutely blossom to an Olympic and professional champion.
Marcial showed his technical skills when he beat via unanimous decision American Andrew Whitfield in a non-title middleweight bout, the Filipino’s professional debut in Los Angeles, California just last December 16.
Pacquiao’s MP Promotions headed by its President Sean Gibbons signed Marcial to a six-year professional contract last July 16 with the intention of putting his Olympic campaign as priority.
Although the fighting senator didn’t say if he was impressed in Marcial’s pro debut, the eight-division world champion just reminded the rising star to “keep on training hard and be smart.”
Bobby, Pacquiao’s younger brother and a former lightweight campaigner, agreed.
“He [Marcial] should keep training hard and he should always listen to his coach. He should also pray for his protection,” said the 40-year-old Pacquiao, now a party-list representative for OFW Family Club.
The younger Pacquiao (31-15-3 record with 16 knockouts) campaigned in the super bantamweight and lightweight divisions from 1997 to 2008.
