Marlon Tapales didn’t mind telling a group of reporters how he pulled off a landmark victory almost two weeks ago in San Antonio, Texas.
By year’s end, the low-key Filipino fighter would like to be around the same bunch of engaging and inquisitive scribes as he discusses in detail how he managed to score the biggest win of his career.
Fresh from snatching the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation 122-lb belts from Uzbekistan’s Murodnjon Akhmadaliev, Tapales is now targeting a bigger fish.
Actually, Tapales is going after a scary monster, assuming that sea creature continues to live up to its fearsome reputation.
That guy is Naoya Inoue, who has been described as invincible that he is being lined up to battle Tapales sometime in November or December.
Inoue, actually, has to hurdle a tough assignment in July as he meets American Stephen Fulton, holder of the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Organization straps.
If victorious, Inoue will not waste time in making meaningless defenses and is geared towards a clash with Tapales in the hopes of becoming undisputed champion.
“I would like Inoue to win and I will be cheering for him,” said Tapales, who will be at ringside at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo.
Tapales swears he is not handing his twin titles to Inoue on a silver platter.
Instead, the shifty southpaw wants to annex the WBC and WBO to his collection.
Supporting Tapales’ bold bid to become a four-belt champion are promoters Sean Gibbons and JC Mananquil, whose team-up has been producing positive results lately.
“That’s the dream, becoming undisputed,” Mananquil said.
Gibbons is upbeat it can be done.
“Marlon has that style to beat Inoue,” Gibbons said.
