Unless he steps on a banana peel on the way to the ring, Marlon Tapales is going to win two world titles on 8 April in San Antonio, Texas.
That’s the belief of former world champion Jerwin Ancajas, who served as Tapales’ chief sparring partner for his crack at Murodjon Akhmadaliev’s World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation super-bantamweight titles.
“For me, he has a 95 percent chance of winning,” Ancajas told Daily Tribune.
What happens to the remaining 5 percent?
“That 5 percent is if he gets too overconfident and suddenly gets lax,” Ancajas said.
Tapales utilized Ancajas because he is a southpaw like Akhmadaliev, who will be making the fourth defense of the WBA-IBF straps in a scheduled 12-rounder at the Boeing Center at Tech Port.
After banging bodies for two months, Ancajas feels Tapales is primed for battle.
“He is strong and quick,” he added.
Aside from Ancajas, Tapales’ also recruited Vic Santillan of the Dominican Republic and Aaron Alameda of Mexico as sparmates during his Las Vegas buildup.
Currently, oddsmakers have installed Akhmadaliev as the +300 favorite ($300 wins $100) and Tapales as the -340 underdog ($100 wins $340).
Despite the odds, Tapales swears he is not just out to impress but snatch his Uzbek’s two straps and join Melvin Jerusalem as the country’s reigning champions.
Akhmadaliev has won all his 11 fights as a professional, including eight knockouts, while Tapales holds a 36-3 mark with 18 knockouts.
Tapales and his team are departing for San Antonio on Tuesday with Sean Gibbons of MP Promotions, JC Mananquil of SanMan Promotions and lead trainer Ernel Fontanilla beefing up the delegation.
